Nearly 100-Year-Old Lansing Building Faces Possible Demolition

Do you know the old Jon Anthony Florist building on Michigan Avenue? This old building could be torn down to make way for a fast-food chain restaurant.

A Lansing Landmark With Decades of History

Jon Anthony was in business at 809 E Michigan Avenue for 80 years, and the building itself is nearly 100 years old. That history could be demolished to make way for a McDonald's.

At this time, the sale has not yet been finalized. While McDonald's is under contract to purchase the property, its initial request was denied by Lansing's Zoning Board of Appeals in a 6 to 1 vote in December 2025.

City staff "fully expect" McDonald's to submit a new request, but this hasn't happened yet. It's likely they are working to address the six discrepancies the initial request had with zoning ordinances.

Why McDonald’s Initial Plan Was Denied

Issues include:

• The planned building was one-story tall, as opposed to the required two stories

• The building would not occupy the first 20 feet of the site along East Michigan Avenue

• It would not have a front entrance facing East Michigan Avenue

• The proposed drive-through would lead onto North Hosmer Street, a local street

• The site plan would exceed the maximum allowable number of permitted parking spaces by one space

For these reasons and more, the proposed building plan was denied.

Whether and when McDonald's will receive approval to move forward with the purchase, demolition, and new building remains to be seen.

Community Pushback Grows

The public is voicing its strong opinion of opposition against the purchase, with some suggesting that the building should be made into a landmark. There are also lots of suggestions that the property be used for something local.

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While McDonald's works to put together a new request, the sale has been left as pending. We'll have to wait to see when that happens when a revised proposal is submitted.