- BWL Proposed an increase in utilities for 2024-25.
- This will be the second increase BWL proposed in 2 years.
- Watch video above to see how people in our neighborhoods feels about it.
An end to a retail era, Metro Melik 517 will permanently close its doors this Saturday.
“It was a community space, it was a comfortable space,” said owner Melik Brown. “People felt comfortable here and they liked it.”
For the past two years, the retail store has sold Lansing merchandise and art. But while the gear kept going out, the bills kept going up.
“Revenue did not match energy put out and when you have lights and internet, phone and all the utilities, those things don’t go away,” Brown said.
Now, Melik Brown is encouraging BWL to look at his story before finalizing a recent utilities increase proposal.
“If there’s a price hike that hasn’t happened, that will happen or eventually happen, that will be a huge hit,” Brown said.
The proposed utility increases will be over the next two years and it would add about a 6% increase electric, about a 9% increase to water about a 9.7% increase to steam and about a 2% increase chilled water. This proposed utility increases come just two years after BWL approved a 2 year increase back in 2022.
“Any increase is a lot,” said Heather Shawa, BWL’s Chief Financial Officer.
Shawa said the increase has a lot to do with the company keeping up with inflation. The result, if approved, would mean just under $11 per bill, once the increases go into effect on October 1st.