Portage -

MLive did an article outlining the building boom currently happening in Portage. It is incredible how much money is being invested into the area, primarily by two massive companies - Pfizer and Stryker - I calculate it to be more than $1.1 billion in development / construction-related dollars to be spend in the next five years. Some more detailed renderings of the planned $150 million+ Stryker corporate campus expansion development are included in the article, along with other construction progress photo updates -

Renderings of Stryker Instruments -





Construction progress at Trade Centre III. This will be five stories when complete - so tall, a height variance was required :haha:! -



Construction progress at Pfizer's new cold storage warehouse, on Portage Rd -



A rendering of the finished warehouse at Pfizer -



Also included with the article were 'before and after' aerial views of the City of Portage. The black and white image is taken in 1950, and the color image from 2015. You can see I-94 snaking along the north edge of the image in the 2015 aerial, as well as the explosive suburban growth along the S. Westnedge corridor. The Kalamazoo International Airport is top right, and Pfizer is south of that -




Source: MLive

Portage -

Stryker cleared its final hurdle for its development plans with the Portage City Council and Planning Commission on Tuesday night. This included approval of "final engineering drawings, land division surveys, a height variance and vehicle access to Ramona Avenue..."

That same afternoon, seemingly discordant news also came from MLive that Stryker is "undergoing an organizational restructuring that will mean a loss of jobs for an undisclosed number of people at the medical technologies company" -

According to the company press release, this will include "limited reductions in our [Stryker's] workforce" and will have no bearing on the just-approved development plans. The company has also stated that they plan to hire an additional 100 people to help staff the new facility that will break ground soon.

The approved Stryker R&D site plan -

Source: MLive

Kalamazoo -

I haven't been there yet, but it's nice to see this newly opened café (part of the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program) getting some state-wide attention -


Source: WTVB News

Kalamazoo -

WMU is considering constructing a new student center addition and renovating the existing Waldo Library (which is rather dated). The plan is in the early stages, but the article does state that Perkins + Will has been hired for the programming / concept development phase -

The current Waldo Library -


Source: MLive

Comstock Township -

In super-small development news, Water Street Coffee Joint will be opening its fifth location this summer on the busy South Sprinkle Road. The foundation work is underway now. You can see in the photos the miniscule footprint that this building will have. Although it is going to just be a tiny drive-thru along this busy arterial road, I think it's probably a positive for that area, and a sign of the increased pace of development near the Sprinkle Rd / I-94 area -




Source: MLive

I thought of some more developments worth including in the project rundown. You can link directly to the first post here. A list of this round of projects is below -

Kalamazoo -

• 610 S Burdick
• Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership
• Consumers Energy Solar Gardens
• Family & Children Services Expansion
• Greenleaf Trust
• Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Norbridge Building
• Radisson Plaza Hotel Renovations
• Walbridge Common
• WMU Chemistry Building
• WMU Heritage Hall
• WMU Sangren Hall
• WMU Zhang Legacy Collections Center

Portage

• PPS 12th Street Elementary
• PPS Portage Central HS New Building
• PPS Portage Lake Center Elementary
• PPS Portage Northern HS Addition & Renovations
• Stryker Medical Consolidated Manufacturing Facilities

Oshtemo Township -

• The Corner@Drake

Texas Township

• KVCC Student Success Center

Comstock Township -

• Bell's Brewery Expansion
• Landscape Forms Powder Coat Facility

Kalamazoo -

Kind of anti-development news...

Alamo Drafthouse, Downtown Kalamazoo's beer-and-full-meal-serving cineplex, was supposed to close today, but it is apparently remaining open for at least a few more days. The announcement was made rather abruptly two months ago that the 10 screen theater would close April 3, without any more information given as to why, or what would happen to it, or who might take it over.

I went there for the first time a few weeks ago with a group of friends, if only to experience it once (and to see Beauty and the Beast - of secondary importance). It was obvious that the employees were pretty much checked out. The service was weak, they had run out of nearly everything, and the place was almost empty. I find it hard to believe that a cinema that serves craft beers is struggling to survive in a city like Kalamazoo, but maybe there are other reasons beyond poor attendance.

I think most locals hope that a downtown cinema remains at this site in some capacity, but it was clear upon my visit that whoever takes it over, if anyone, should do some major renovations and updates, as the whole venue felt dated and worn down. The restrooms and theater spaces were especially raggedy. This article explains things more -





Jane Fonda isn't 'phased' by the news of Alamo's imminent closing -


Source: MLive

Discover Kalamazoo sues Southwest Michigan First over use of '269'
 

Kalamazoo -

So... apparently you can trademark area codes?

It seems rather silly that one nonprofit would try to sue another over rights to a three-digit number, but that's what Discover Kalamazoo, the city's convention and visitors bureau organization, is planning to do to Southwest Michigan First, a local economic development organization. The mission of both groups is essentially the same - to promote development and economic strength in the region. 269 is the area code serving Southwest Michigan -

Kalamazoo -

I hope this gets saved -




Source: Second Wave

Portage -

Two days ago I awoke to 2" of snow on the ground. So today when I awoke to blue skies, sunshine, and the promise of temps in the mid-60s, I thought I'd take a drive and do a construction update for Portage.

Starting with the largest in-progress construction project, Trade Centre III, just north of I-94 (650 Trade Centre Way). The steel is rising fast on this one - I wish that this could be even 5 stories taller. But with Portage zoning ordinance what it is, there are severe height restrictions (I think 60 feet maximum height, due mostly due to the nearby airport). So even at just 5 stories, this latest addition to the Trade Center development required a height variance -



You can spot the new-ish Homewood Suites in the background -



New development is happening everywhere in Portage, but with its strict height limits, relatively cheap land, and relatively pro-business practices, the City of Portage is destined to be one defined by low-rise, car-centric, suburban-style development. Cue Exhibit B - the recently-completed commercial plaza at 212 W Milham Ave. - it is anchored by a hair salon / spa, and also has a Tropical Smoothie Café, a weight loss center, and some other spa-type services. Nothing that would really cater to me, but as a building, I do think it's a slight improvement over the two underutilized commercial structures that were demolished to make room for it. I would like it less if it was a single story -





Further west on Milham is the new StoryPoint senior living community. The building is now occupied, although it looked like there were a lot of different specialty services and utility folks still on the premises. There are a bunch of these types of communities cropping up in southwest Michigan -





Right across the street from this development, on the north side of Milham, is the new Copperleaf development, built by Allen Edwin Homes. Phase 1 is wrapping up, consisting of single-family detached residences, and folks were literally moving in as I drove through the development. It looked mostly like lots of young families with children, which I'd wager is the general target demographic for most of the new housing construction happening in Portage -





Honestly, the 'architecture' of these homes could be much worse. There's a vague 'craftsman' vibe, and the multi-colored siding helps to alleviate some of the monotony of the similar floorplans. I think including the sidewalks helps. But I still think the homes have that whole 'garage with a house attached' feel to them -



The homes start in the $220's, and with good parks, good schools, a major highway, regional shopping mall and commercial strip all in the immediate vicinity, it seems like only a matter of time before this whole area becomes built-up with similar looking...stuff. The Hummer completes the picture -

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ataxa-8Ptf_di5kS...024&height=768

Journeying south a bit, I came across an interesting private residence along Moorsbridge Road -



A bit further south in the large Woodbridge Hills neighborhood along Old Centre Avenue, there is a new Pediatric Dentistry going up. Not too exciting, as there's a bunch of stick-framed medical suite stuff like this popping up in Portage. The slab was freshly poured -



At the corner of Oakland Dr. and West Centre Ave. is a new Arbor Financial Credit Union branch that broke ground a few weeks ago. The foundations are poured and awaiting the slab. The credit union currently has a branch right across the street and they will be moving in here when completed. Credit unions and bank branches are probably tied with condominium developments for the most popular form of construction happening in Portage currently. It's a sign of the growing economy in the area - there's maybe 15 - 20 newly opened or nearly-opened new branch offices, all competing to cater to the growing number of residents that are entertaining the idea of buying a home or a car -





Speaking of condos and new home ownership, here are some pictures from the ongoing Whisper Rock Condominiums community being built by AVB, along South Oakland Drive. These condos are selling at prices that start in the upper $200's -





I'm less a fan of these than say, Copperleaf. At least in Copperleaf you could probably pick out your own house form among the rest. I suppose that homogeneity is 'par for the course' when it comes to condominium developments -



Don't even think about it - it's private!



The Whisper Rock Condominiums look quite similar to the adjacent and nearly completed Oakland Hills Condominiums, also brought to us by AVB. I don't know why, but these condos are selling for approximately twice as much more than the ones at Whisper Rock ($400's vs $200's). Maybe demand has slackened slightly -





Another small condominium development is slowly taking shape along W Osterhout Avenue, at the southern edge of Portage. This community is designed to ultimately have 12 units (6 buildings). The second one has been under construction for what seems like over a year now. Randall J. Bass is the builder. They really embraced the massive garage-in-front, small-living-space in back aesthetic. Not a big fan -





Finally, I end this low rise, low-caliber construction update with a walk in Schrier Park. I think that the extensive park system in Portage is one of the city's best assets. They do a good job taking care of the parks, and the network of trails is still expanding. Schrier Park just received a new pavilion and playground. The playground replaced an older one last fall, and the pavilion was just completed a week or two ago -





Whatever your thoughts on this round of development updates, I know one critic that is easily impressed - my dog!

Kalamazoo -

Art Hop - a program organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo - usually occurs every month from 5pm to 9pm on the first Friday of each month. The latest Art Hop was held Friday night (April 7) and coincided with a Late-Night Food Truck Rally. 30+ venues were participating this time, in an evening of free art exhibits and events. Both events are an asset to the city - they draw people downtown and highlight some of the best that the city has to offer. Some photos that I took from both events are below. The next Art Hop will be on May 5, and the next Food Truck Rally will also be in May. If for any reason you find yourself in Southwest Michigan when these events occur, I highly recommend going - it's a great way to experience the city...

One of the hubs of the Art Hop is the Park Trades Center, on old, four-story industrial building converted to artist's studios and workshops. On Art Hop nights, you can wander freely through the massive structure, and artists have their doors open to visitors -



On the first floor, you'll find the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, which offers classes in paper making, printing, book binding, etc. and has lots of cool old equipment. This particular night, it was hosting an 'edible book' contest. After the judging and awards, the 'books' were eaten -







Right next door in the same Park Trades structure is Glass Art Kalamazoo. Demonstrations in glass blowing and small glass working were being given. Many classes and volunteer opportunities are offered here year-round -



It's a two-person effort at times -



...or even a four-person effort -



The folks below were making "Journey Beads", small mementos given to people (mostly children) who are going through difficult medical procedures like cancer treatment. They get another bead for each step of the journey. Anyone can volunteer to make these (with a little training, first) -







Then there's a gallery up front, displaying some of the more impressive works that have been made in the studio -

Assortment of vases -





"Lavender Dreams", Sally Pritko, artist -



Motorcycle (I didn't catch the artist) -



"Spikey Terrarium", Shannon Eakins, artist -



Next we walked to the Arcus Gallery, where there was a juried art exhibit taking place. Located at the north end of the 'Kalamazoo Mall', the gallery is part of KVCC's downtown campus -



"Walking Man", Oil on Canvas, Linda Manguiat-Herzog, artist -



"Bonds of Nature's Law", Paper & Mixed Media, Ellie Hyde, artist -



"Sullivan", Mixed Media, Susan Hill, artist -



Looking north along the mall -



And looking south along the mall, you'll see Phase 2 of the Peregrine 100 project underway, which involves rehabbing a former bank building (First National Bank & Trust) into office space and apartments. The paper was off the windows, so everyone was peeking inside -













Next stop was 'The Spirit of Kalamazoo' store, which was hosting work by artist Ellen Nelson. The store is located in the ground floor of a relatively new downtown loft redevelopment "Corporation Hall" -



"The Sum of One's Parts", Part of a Series, Ellen Nelson, artist -



Near here is Norm Carver's Gallery. There's always great photography on display, so we stopped in. My two favorites were both titled "Boys on the Jantar Mantar Observatory, Delhi, India '64", Norman F. Carver Jr., artist -





We also walked past the former Kalamazoo Gazette Building, much of which has just been demolished for future development by Bronson (the original Albert Kahn-designed structure is being preserved). You can see part of the Bronson Hospital complex in the background. There's talk of constructing new medical lab space - I only hope that it can still be a mixed use development, with some commercial storefronts on the ground level to activate the street -





With the sun setting and the temperatures dropping, we headed over to the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange to grab a quick drink before going to the Food Truck Rally. The Food Truck Rally usually starts at 9:00pm and runs until midnight. It currently occurs five times each year, starting with the April one and ending with one in October. It usually hosts 10-12 food trucks, but as the event grows more popular, I hope they add more trucks. This event was held on Water Street, underneath a parking structure that goes over the road, for a more "underground" vibe -

Wow! K-zoo has really come a long way over the past ten years or so (since the days when i frequented it often) so has WMU from what i can see, Kalamazoo is finally embracing it full potential as a college town and seems to be gaining many of the ancillary benefits. I know there's more to The Zoo than just the schools there as well but it seems WMU's status has increased its gone hand in hand with this current resurgence.

For sure WMU has had a lot to do with it - the hospitals and medical industry too. Kalamazoo still has its fair share of large challenges - above average crime and poverty rates come to mind - but there is a lot in the works to continue combatting that. The city is also currently in the process of updating its master plan and vision for 2025. In fact, tomorrow and Wednesday all-day there will be a community design workshop focusing on the downtown area. This will wrap up the community input portion of the master planning process, but neighborhood meetings have been happening all through the winter. I'm taking time off from work to attend both days.

Kalamazoo -

The city just held a 2-day workshop on April 11-12 to generate ideas and gather community feedback about reimagining downtown. This event was just one part of a much larger undertaking to update the entire city masterplan, which is meant to guide development through 2025 and beyond. The draft masterplan should be ready for review in June. The city preceded this large event with a series of smaller, neighborhood-oriented meetings that occurred throughout the winter. Input from more than 3,000 residents was gathered at these meetings.

I had the opportunity to participate in this 2-day charrette as a volunteer, along with 30-40 other volunteers in various design professions (architects, engineers, landscape architects, urban planners, city parks & development staff, etc.). It was a good experience, listening to residents' ideas about how to catalyze positive growth in the city.

The process generated a lot of concepts and discussion about what downtown Kalamazoo should and could be. Our team’s particular focus was on ways to improve the Kalamazoo mall. There were 7 or 8 teams that all focused on different areas of downtown. The next steps that the city will take include reviewing all of the community feedback gathered last night and at all of the previous neighborhood meetings. Their goal is to develop a full draft of a masterplan in the coming months, to be reviewed by the city commission beginning in June, before being approved for implementation.

Gibbs Planning Group has been contracted by the city to conduct an economic feasibility study and market analysis in tandem with development of the master plan. This consulting firm is based out of Birmingham, Michigan, and is a nationally-recognized leader in the field of commercial real estate consulting and urban planning. Their client list is quite long. In Michigan alone, it looks like they have done consulting work in 50+ communities. If you want to read more about the process, below are two articles from MLive, from each of the two days.






Source: Jake Green | MLive

As of today, site prep is officially underway in Kalamazoo and in Portage for what will become the two largest developments happening currently in each respective city (combined construction cost of $180+ million) -

Kalamazoo -

In downtown Kalamazoo, site barriers and fencing are being installed around the site of the proposed Exchange Building, at the southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Rose Street. The proposal calls for a 15-story mixed-use highrise, with commercial and residential occupancies. Construction cost is estimated at $53 million. The last time a structure this tall was erected in Kalamazoo was in 1984 (Washington Square Co-op, at 14 stories). This is huge development for the city. That entire void between the two buildings, which is right now a surface parking lot, will be filled. You can follow the progress for this building at its dedicated thread, here.

Portage -

Site clearing has begun for what will become the new Stryker Corporate headquarters, with an estimated project cost of $130 million. The development will anchor the 288 acre development bounded by Milham Avenue, Portage Road, Ramona Avenue, and Lovers Lane. I will try to get photos of the site at some point.

They spend time at a community design meeting so they can pat themselves on the back and yet approve construction of projects that are the very antithesis of good urban planning. All that feedback is pointless, we already know what good urban planning looks like. Who is panhandling in Kalamazoo? What does "grocery store" mean? how is that a weakness?

Kalamazoo -

The underutilized Arcadia Parking Ramp is up for sale, as part of a deal aimed to catalyze new development in the Arcadia Commons West area -



The former Masonic Temple building (aka Rose Street Market) is the focus of a new potential hotel redevelopment -


Source: Malachi Barrett | MLive

I think whoever wrote 'grocery store' must have meant that the 'lack of' grocery stores in the downtown area is a weakness. Panhandling is a hot topic in the city; it is discussed frequently, but not easily resolved. I'm often asked if I can spare some change by people who may or may not be homeless. The poverty rate in the city is hovering around 40%, about double the state average.

Are you referring to any projects in particular that are the antithesis of good urban planning? (genuinely curious)

Kalamazoo -

The new Family Health Clinic at 505 E Alcott St. is nearly finished. There is an open house on April 20th. While I'm not sure how I feel about the overall aesthetics of it, I like this project mostly because it is development on a brownfield site -


Source: MLive | Courtesy Rick Chambers & Associates LLC

I'm mostly referring to the development you posted with the giant parking podium, it's awful.

If the city wants a vibrant urban core it's gonna have to get a lot more serious than these aesthetic master plans that just end up looking cheap and gimmicky, although trees are important and should line as many streets as possible. How is public transit in the city? They should be focused on adding bus lines, what about biking infrastructure? The city should build some dedicated bike lanes. Universities and colleges should have campuses or a basic presence in the city center, start with community colleges in the area, this would be a double win with the Kalamazoo promise. Incentivize any new companies or growing companies to build their offices in the city center and build them near transit stops so they won't need as much parking. The city should push developers to build underground parking or at least provide better design alternatives like hiding parking in the back of a development. I feel like the city is trying to be Royal Oak 2.0 and failing at it.