One Lansing group is getting between the Board of Water and Light and their new power station. The BWL has to close the Eckert Plant by 2020 and replace it with a new substation but the plans for the new site could possible mean moving of a nearly 100 year old building.
Dale Schrader of Preservation Lansing is fighting to save the 98 year old house on the corner of South Washington and Malcolm X in Lansing.
"It's an easy target right now because it's kind of run down and it's got siding on it but it wouldn't take much to bring it back to it's original state" Schrader said.
The site is the location of where BWL wants to have their new substation but Preservation Lansing is trying to stop that.
"We're trying to slow down the process and take a look at it and show people that it has historic value" Schrader said.
For two years, BWL has been looking at 8 different locations near downtown to better serve customers.
BWL tells FOX 47 News that their $26 million project begins with the new substation. They have to close the Eckert plant because of its again infrastructure.
During the State of the City, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero spoke about the possible ways of keeping the home.
"I fully support moving the house at Scott Park to a different location and allowing qualified private investors to renovate it, if they wish" Mayor Bernero said.
Schrader believes if the house goes down, it's just the beginning.
"You know what else is going to happen? The other mansion over there is already starting to fall into disrepair right next to Cooley Garden," Schrader said. "That will be the next domino to fall."
But he's hoping to stop any of that from happening.
The property is overseen by Lansing Park and Recreation and they're trying to see if it is a historical landmark.
