If there’s one thing you can say about Downtown Lansing developers, it’s that it takes a certain blend of old and new to make the job work. Take Shawn Elliott. He specializes in restoring historic buildings in Lansing through his company, Diamonds in the Rough.  Through the business, he’s revitalized some of Lansing’s sleekest loft and commercial spaces, and put his focus on maintaining the buildings’ original integrity.

Lansing is not short on these historic gems. When Elliott started rehabbing the former Famous Taco location in Downtown Lansing in 2005, he made a discovery that tested his skills both as a developer and someone who loves history. When he peeled the 1950s façade off the property at 208 S. Washington Sq., Elliott discovered work done back in the 1890s by renowned mid-Michigan architect Darius Moon. Of the hundreds of properties Moon had contributed to in the Lansing area, only a handful survived. This was one of them. Elliott managed to salvage a lot of the old building and rebuild the façade. Now it houses Cornerstone Coffee and has office space above.

With pieces of history literally at Elliott’s fingertips, he’s able to nourish that part of his work. But that doesn’t mean he’s not looking new inspiration.

In May of this year, Elliott announced plans that were bigger than anything he’s done before. His idea for a high-rise condominium in the heart of downtown was done with a partner, local developer Allen Drouare. The two plan to use the space formerly owned by the City Club. Many city officials like the idea, and plans are in the works.  Elliott travels a lot, and sees what works in other cities. Through his research, he’s discovered that more and more people want to live downtown. This is a trend that many Lansing developers are seeing these days.

“I feel honored to be mentioned with the developers downtown such as Gene Townsend, Richard Karp, Pat Gillespie, Harry Hepler and my brother,” Elliott said. “They are the guys that are really getting some exciting things done.”

It seems, in many ways, that these developers are indeed a family. Close friends and associates, working together toward a common good. Elliott and his brother share the goal of creating unique and long-lasting spaces for Lansing’s downtown. This next generation of developers have been able to make these ideas into realities.

“None of my projects would have been possible without some very supportive partners—it is their money that has paved the way for my projects,” Elliott stated. “I believe in downtown and I believe we have the right public-private relationships to make some very exciting things happen.”