REO Town

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REO Town is a district in Lansing, Michigan, just south of downtown. It runs along South Washington Avenue and is bordered by several streets and the Grand River.

The area is named after Ransom Eli Olds, a pioneer of the automobile. REO Town is known as the birthplace of the commercial automobile in the United States, with the Olds name behind Oldsmobile and REO. The REO Motor Car Company produced cars there from 1905 to 1975.

REO Town includes three neighborhoods—Fabulous Acres, Moores Park, and River Point—and features a busy commercial corridor on Washington Avenue.

In 2003, the REO Town Commercial Association was formed to promote local businesses and growth for residents.

In 2010, plans were announced for a large natural-gas powered electric and steam plant on Washington Avenue. The eight-story cogeneration plant opened in July 2013 and created about 180 jobs. The project also included plans to renovate the nearby Grand Trunk railroad station.

A federal transportation grant in 2011 helped fund a $2.1 million streetscape project on Washington Avenue.

The biggest employer in REO Town remains the automotive industry, with the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant employing around 2,500 people.

Arts and culture are active here. Events include Art Attack, Arts Night Out, and the Robin Theatre. There are local recording studios like Elm Street Recording and REO Town Recording. The Art & Craft Beerfest and the Lansing Beer Fest showcase art, beer, and music. In 2018, REO Town hosted the Three Stacks Music Festival.

Support for young artists comes from REACH Studio Art Center, founded in 2004 to offer free and low-cost art classes. Wheel House Studios opened in 2018 for wheel-throwing classes.