Excavation progress is underway at the site of the planned 15-story Exchange building. Work is moving quickly at the moment. I posted some photos from today on the dedicated building thread.

Kalamazoo -

According to this MLive article, WMU is spending $5 million in an effort to improve wayfinding at its Main campus, as well as at its Parkview and East campuses -

The project will also involve renaming a lot of streets at the main campus. The below image shows the existing street names on the left, and the proposed changes to street names on the right. I think this will definitely be an improvement over the current system / names, making things more clear and obvious to visitors (perhaps at the expense of being a little more mundane). For example, the Ring Road will now just be called 'Ring Road North' and 'Ring Road South' instead of bearing the 4-5 names it currently sports along its entire route -


Source: MLive

Kalamazoo -

On Thursday morning, I watched as helpless drivers were held up on Michigan Avenue for over an hour and a half. This traffic jam was due to a broken down freight train blocking this road and several other east-west routes through downtown. These tracks are heavily used to move freight between Grand Rapids, MI and Elkhart, IN. Delays are frequent, but usually only for 5 - 10 minutes, not 90+ minutes. MLive did a story on the backup that day -

The main problem is that when trains get stalled or halted at this crossing, it can potentially block practically every east-west route through the core of the city, leaving motorists with few options. This is due to the fact that all of the crossings are at-grade, or level with, the roadways. Another problem is that there is no real advance warning when the train may cross, and it often happens at peak rush hour times in the morning and afternoon. By the time you realize what's happening, it's usually too late to get out, because traffic is as many as four lanes and mostly all one-way. A third issue is that if you are not a regular commuter along this route, you have no clue what is going on or where to go, which leads to more confusion as people try to find an escape route before things get even more gridlocked. Here's an aerial map I threw together, showing the main east-west roads and the railroad tracks -



Several proposals to either (a) elevate the tracks or (b) elevate the roads have fallen through over the years. I understand not wanting elevated roads or train tracks downtown, but the current situation remains one of the largest unresolved infrastructure challenges in the downtown area. The current setup is dysfunctional, and it hinders both commerce and tourism. It can also become a public safety issue if emergency responders need to cut through downtown for any reason when the roads are blocked. Here's one such (dated) proposal, from the early 1980s (which thankfully did not come to fruition) -


Source: KPL.gov

The question is how to encourage connections and movement through the core of the city while continuing to promote rail traffic (which I view as a good thing). I really think that some people get so fed up with dealing with the train crossings that they just avoid downtown completely. The Grand Elk Railroad, which owns the at-grade crossing located just east of Pitcher Street, issued an apology on Thursday for the unexpectedly long delay. If your interested in reading more, here's a link to an interesting article on the Kalamazoo Public Library website that explains more about the history of Kalamazoo's Railroads and this downtown intersection.

And here are some photos of the traffic jam -










Source: MLive | Mark Bugnaski

Kalamazoo -

A roundabout planned for Kalamazoo's East Side might be back on track to be constructed this summer / fall. The intersection of Harrison, Ransom and Gull streets sees more than 16,000 vehicles per day. An increase in vehicular traffic (and accidents) has been seen in recent years as the area has developed new housing and commercial businesses. The new growth is expected to catalyze more development in the future. One of the things holding up the proposed roundabout was a concern voiced by locals for safer pedestrian and bicycle access / passage around the turnabout area. That's seems to be at least partially resolved now, according to this MLive article:

Here's a plan of the proposed roundabout, as designed by Wightman & Associates, Inc. Wightman happens to be relocating their Portage office to a site not far from this proposed roundabout -


Source: MLive | Courtesy City of Kalamazoo

And here's a Google street view, looking south on Harrison, just north of Gull Road -


Source: Google Maps

Official approval will be sought during the City Commission meeting on May 15.

Portage -

Some not-so-great news...

Kalamazoo -

It looks like the city is getting another brewery...:cheers:

The Owners / Founders, Justin Guisinger and Shane Van Liere -


Source: Jake Green | MLive

Kalamazoo -

This is mildly interesting, although it doesn't really sound like a real café, so much as a snack bar with a few cats. Still, it's a neat concept to fill an empty storefront along Michigan Avenue with, and for a good cause -

Relative to this post, it was announced that Portage city officials plan to meet with representatives from State Farm today to discuss ways to possibly retain the 600 jobs that State Farm just announced would be moved to other regions. I think it's too little too late, but I'm glad they are at least trying -

Kalamazoo -

I took an opportunity to go on a tour of Heritage Guitar’s factory on Kalamazoo’s Northside this week. It was a neat experience. If you're interested in seeing the photos, I posted them here.

Kalamazoo -

The city's newest restaurant (and it's only Vietnamese-Asian Fusion restaurant) opened today in Washington Square -






Source: MLive | Mark Bugnaski

Kalamazoo -

WMU's plan to demolish a long-standing cluster of student-occupied homes near campus has been scrapped, after demolishing two of the houses (941 and 945 Bellevue Place).

The Bellevue Place homes are part of the South Street-Vine Area Local Historic District. While the homes have all seen better days, they were among some of the first homes constructed in the early 1900s by private developers to provide off-campus housing for students (before any on-campus housing was available). This small neighborhood reminds me of a lot of the narrow streets in Pittsburgh / Oakland, from my college days. Student ghetto, sure - but I would rather see them rehabbed than torn down just to provide some 'green space -


Source: Carly Geraci | Mlive

Kalamazoo -

Well, the redesign of the planned roundabout for Downtown Kalamazoo's Eastside was given a 'D+' by The Complete Streets Coalition of Kalamazoo on Wednesday, 5/10. The first design received an 'F' rating, and the Coalition recommended that plans not proceed for any design with less than a B+ rating. Ultimately the decision is up to the City Commission, when it votes on the plan tomorrow -


Source: MLive | Courtesy City of Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo -

I posted this on the dedicated building thread, but since probably not many will look there... the official groundbreaking for The Exchange was on Friday, although site prep and foundation work is already underway. Opening is now set for spring of 2019. At 15 stories tall, this is about as good as it gets for Kalamazoo -

Kalamazoo -

While not directly development-related, Wood TV did a short news story on the 37-year anniversary of the 1980 tornado that struck the heart of downtown. The aerial footage of the damage caused by this F-3 tornado is pretty incredible -

Vicksburg -

Vicksburg is a small (but growing) village located about 15 miles south of Downtown Kalamazoo. The long-vacant Lee Paper Mill, once the largest employer in the area, is finally being repurposed as a mixed-use 'life style destination' according to the new owner, Paper City Development, LLC. Paper making was once Kalamazoo's largest industry, but it went the same way as a lot of domestic industry in the 1970s & 80s (downhill). Of the many former paper mills in the area, some have been demolished, some have been repurposed, and some are awaiting redevelopment. It's a relief to see a solid plan for this one, although I'm not sure that it will be able to fully support some of the planned uses... which include retail, interpretive museums, restaurants, higher education research, craft breweries, large indoor and outdoor event venues, artisan makers, residential lofts, apartments, and a hotel.

Here is a simple master plan for the site, along with 'then & now photos' -






Source: Byce & Associates

Kalamazoo -

Last night, in its ongoing effort to encourage development and reduce traffic constrictions in the east end of downtown, the City Commission voted yes on the proposed Harrison St / Ransom St / Gull Road roundabout. The Commission also approved a 'Memorandum of Understanding' with local developer Treystar to extend Harrison Street south of E Michigan Ave, alongside The Foundry development, currently underway. In this partnership, the public road will be constructed by the private developer, with on-street parking provided, and the city will provide utilities, street lights, etc. It will end in a cul-de-sac for now. Longer-term plans involve extending this road all the way to Pitcher Street, in an effort to improve the road network and make the entire area more attractive to potential development. 50 acres, comprising 45 parcels in this area, were recently rezoned to mixed-used -


Source: MLive

Here's a quick sketch that I put together, of what the future extension of Harrison to Pitcher would probably look like -

Portage -

"Trade Centre III", at 650 Trade Centre Way topped out last week. The five story structure is the newest addition to Hinman Company's Trade Centre development -


Source: Hinman Company

Terribly sad news this week about the death of Alyssa Elsman, the 18 year old Portage resident who was killed in Times Square on Thursday. Her sister Ava remains hospitalized.

This is a development-oriented forum, but nothing discussed here matters in the slightest when compared against the intentional ending of a human life.

Kalamazoo -

In March, the city applied to be recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a bike-friendly community (the first time it has ever tried for this recognition). I just learned that the City was granted the Bronze award, putting it in the same bike-friendly class as Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, East Lansing, Portage, Battle Creek, and Midland. It's a win for the community, with much more progress to be made.

The report card for Kalamazoo is below. As you can see, there are a lot of low scoring areas. There was criticism from the league that there was insufficient road network data provided. I am not sure why the report card states there are 0 bike-friendly businesses, as Bronson Methodist Hospital (based in Kzoo) was recently granted Gold status (awards can be applied for by universities, individual businesses, or entire communities) -


Source: League of American Bicyclists

Kalamazoo -

The city's first 'official' tiny home has an open house tomorrow. The house, built by the local Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity Chapter, is located at 1835 Charles Avenue. It is around 230 SF, Zero Energy Ready, and was built for a single occupant. This property is the first of its kind to be legally recognized and permitted by the city. More info on the project can be found on Habitat's website -


Source: KVHH Facebook Page

I was surprised to learn that the City is making conscious efforts to encourage more tiny homes, and more surprised to read that the current minimum size for a single dwelling in Kalamazoo is specified at just 120 SF by local zoning. It sounds like the current hindrance to a greater proliferation of tiny houses in the City is related to other zoning limitations like minimum lot size and rules that limit the type of accessory structures on residential properties; things that the city is working on changing. I think Habitat likes the tiny house option for a variety of reasons: it is affordable to construct, easy to maintain, it encourages sustainable lifestyles, and ultimately it is easier for the inhabitants to obtain full ownership.

US Census Data for Kalamazoo County 2010 - 2016
 

In Post #18 of this thread, I summarized the Kalamazoo County population growth. The Census data released May 25 reveals some further detail, with population estimates provided for cities, villages and townships in 2016. As a whole, Michigan's population rose 0.5% from 2010 to 2016, and Kalamazoo county was a positive contributor to this growth. Here's a breakdown I put together of the info for Kalamazoo County -



A few observations on the data:

• Every population area in the County experienced growth on some level.
• Kalamazoo (City) exceeded 75,000, with 2.2% growth.
• Portage (City) is nearing the 50,000 mark, and grew about twice as much as Kalamazoo, at 4.6%.
• Texas Township and the Village of Vicksburg both had relatively 'explosive' population booms, at around 13% growth rate for each. This is especially noticeable in Texas Township, were a lot of development is happening.
• Galesburg had the lowest growth rate, at 1.8%.

Kalamazoo -

The office portion of The Foundry - the 53,000 SF mixed-use development under construction downtown - is scheduled to be complete in July, and the restaurant is scheduled to be complete by November. A restaurant tenant has not been named yet, but developer Treystar indicated that it will be 'a unique eatery' and not a national chain -

I like the interior office area, and the terrace along the creek is a good idea, but the new exterior finishes on the non-brick portion are just abysmal. The metal panels look terribly bland and misplaced next to the beautiful tones of the old brick from the original 1907 warehouse. Basically, the exterior ended up looking nothing like the rendering shown at the groundbreaking last summer. Also not a big fan of the large parking lot in front of the building. It leaves the area around it feeling just as un-walkable as it does currently -

Here's a rendering from last year, showing brick and a lot more glass at the office portion (not to mention two stories instead of one) -

Source: MLive

Compared to the exterior as-built, with all metal cladding instead of masonry at the office portion. Office space is on the left, the restaurant will be on the right -

Source: MLive

Texas Township -

I had lunch today at Fletcher's Pub in Texas Township. Right across the parking lot, the finishing touches are being put on a new restaurant, scheduled to open mid-June. It will be a fast-casual establishment called Rykse & Co. Market and Eatery. The new restaurant was the idea of Ryan Rykse, who is the son of the Rykse's Restaurant & Bakery on Stadium Drive. Local Texas Township firm Bosch Architecture did the design -


Source: My own photo

Texas Township is having a population boom, and there are many new (albeit surbanesque) developments happening there, including some pretty decent restaurants. I do like that the new structure is two stories and has an outdoor seating patio that is right up against the sidewalk. With the loft and the outdoor terrace, it will have capacity for at least 125 patrons. Texas Corners may never have that 'traditional' downtown feel, but the local government has at least made an effort to improve the pedestrian experience by recently installing sidewalks, improved crosswalks, street lamps, etc. I think developments like this that add a little more density are a boon for the area. Anyway, I know suburban-type development isn't the main focus here, but as far as ground-up restaurant construction goes, I think it's a good looking design for the area -




Source: Al Jones | MLive

WMU has commenced demolishing a portion of McCracken Hall, including a 5-story wing and connecting bridge. McCracken is one of the oldest buildings on WMU's main campus. The original part of the building will remain. While it is too early to tell, it is likely that at least a portion of this cleared site will eventually be used for a new student center & expansion to Waldo Library.


Source: Google Maps


Source: MLive | Jake Green


Source: MLive | Jake Green

In other demolition news, TGI Friday's on West Main, near 131, has closed and will soon be demolished to make way for AVB Inc.'s new $100 million Westgate development (formerly referred to as 'The Gateway'). I find very little to be excited about for this development - the publicized plans include several big box store sites, four restaurant sites (likely national-chain), and three hotel sites, two of which have been claimed by a Holiday Inn & Suites and a Holiday Inn Express. The existing Holiday Inn at S. 11th St and Stadium Drive will apparently become a Delta Hotel (Marriott).

All of this wonderful development will be surrounded by a sea of surface parking and access roads. I wish Kalamazoo could do better, and while this development will no-doubt be profitable, bring jobs to the area, etc. etc. it will be entirely bland and forgettable. Ugh -

MLive posted a good analysis about the 2016 Census and population changes in SW Michigan today. It covers some of the things that I observed in Post #71 of this thread. One of the things that MLive explained is how many of the counties surrounding Kalamazoo County have experienced (slight) population decline since 2010. Kalamazoo County had the greatest growth in SW MI, followed by Allegan County, and then Barry County. All other SW MI counties had population loss. Branch County (home of Battle Creek) lost the most - 3.9%, since 2010. According to the article, the entire region defined as SW MI added 7,448 residents since 2010 (0.8% increase).

http://image.mlive.com/home/mlive-me...c7ba79ff84.jpg
Image Source: MLive

Kalamazoo is about to add another drinking establishment to its growing arsenal of downtown watering holes. The new venue, called "The Stamped Robin" will be located at 128 Portage Street, in the former location of the "Spirit of Kalamazoo" store, which recently relocated to the Kalamazoo Mall. This new venue will offer rotating specialty cocktails and wine selections, along with lighter food options. It is expected to seat 55 to 85 patrons, including outdoor seating on a small patio.

Considering Kalamazoo's growing reputation as a regional hub for breweries, brew pubs, wine tasting rooms, and the like, you may think that the market for this type of lounge is saturated. But I think the owners have perceived a vacant niche in the market that, to-date, has been 'un-tapped'.

The owners have already received liquor license approval from the Kalamazoo City Commission, and, pending approval at the state level, expect to be open sometime this summer. It will be housed at the far left of the three story building, close to the parking deck, in the photo below (picture by me):

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Also, I took some construction progress photos this weekend for "The Exchange". You can link to them here.

I drove by Trade Centre III on the way home tonight. There's nothing really remarkable about this building, but it is moving along quickly. The unitized wall segments are almost all up, and expect the glazing to begin shortly. You can also see a bit of the mechanical work and metal stud partitions going in.

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The Kalamazoo County Health Department is moving forward with its plans to consolidate services and move into a site at the former Allied Paper Mill. The three story, 45,000 SF building once housed the Illinois Envelope Co, and it is about the only thing that remains from the site's paper-making days, apart from 70 acres of contaminated soil. Cost of renovation & addition is estimated at $15.7 million, with move-in scheduled for early 2018.

Health department to move into new building by spring 2018
By Malachi Barrett | MLive
June 06, 2017

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Image Source: MLive

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Image Source: Google Maps

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Image Source: MLive

Related to the previous post, here's more info on the Allied Paper site, an EPA-designated Superfund cleanup area.

The large site that sits vacant today served the Kalamazoo paper manufacturing industry for over 100 years, from the 1890s to 1990s. Bryant Paper opened there in 1895 and it eventually became Allied Paper, which shut down in the 1980s, along with most of Kalamazoo's other paper factories. A few attempts to revive the factory in the 1990s were short-lived, and massive demolition took place in 2004 to eradicate the abandoned factory buildings - there's lots of incredible photos documenting the mill, and its subsequent demolition here and here. I wish I had been around to see it before it was gone - here are a couple of my favorite shots from alliedpaper.org:

The 1920s-era power plant:
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Image Source: alliedpaper.org

Scrap metal in front of the power plant from demo:
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Image Source: alliedpaper.org

View from inside the power plant:
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Image Source: alliedpaper.org

Turbine Room:
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Image Source: alliedpaper.org

Catwalk view of power plant:
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Image Source: alliedpaper.org

So, all of that is now long gone, and what was left behind is the largest EPA-designated Superfund brownfield site in the city. Of the 89 acre site, 70 acres of Allied Paper was confirmed as polluted with PCBs. The site is just one of six "operable units" within an even larger zone spanning Allegan and Kalamazoo counties along the Kalamazoo River, where it has been calculated that hundreds of tons of PCBs were dumped during the region's industrial days.

From the City:

Source - Kalamazoo City Website

In Fall of 2016, the EPA approved a (controversial) cleanup plan for the site, referred to as "The Hybrid". Under this plan, the contaminants will all be moved to one area of the site, freeing up about 20 acres of cleared land for new development. Several earlier proposals calling for complete removal of all contaminants was deemed too costly to do, at a price tag of around $180 million.

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Image Source: City of Kalamazoo

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Image Source: MLive

For context, here's an aerial view of the entire site - north is to the right. The future home of the Health Department / former Illinois Envelope Building is at the far right. The shaded blue region is 1 mile long. The landfill area is on the left and borders Portage Creek, which drains into the Kalamazoo River.

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Image Source: Google Maps

Western Michigan's Heritage Hall was awarded LEED Platinum on June 2 by USGBC, making it the first LEED Platinum-certified building in Kalamazoo County. It was previously considered the least energy-efficient building on the campus, and it is now probably the most energy-efficient. Almost justifies the destruction of most of their original campus ...

Recent soil samples taken at Arcadia Commons West have tested positive for soil contaminants. No detailed results yet, but it is a wrinkle in the plans for that area. Arcadia Commons West is the site of a planned four-block development involving multiple stakeholders, including a new Kalamazoo County courthouse estimated at $80 million.

I overhauled the Project Rundown on Page 1 of this thread. Major Updates Include:

• Separating Kalamazoo and Portage developments into two separate posts (see post #2 now for Portage developments)
• Condensed the introduction somewhat, with updated population info provided, based on 2016 census figures
• Updated categorizing of all projects as Proposed, U/C, or Recently Completed & sorting accordingly
• Proposed and U/C projects are now ordered by estimated construction cost for each ‘region’, greatest to least.
• I eliminated some projects from the list, including the detached housing and condo projects – they’re not that interesting anyway.
• Completed projects are ordered by date completed, and only go back as far as 2016 for now. I might take it a bit further back at a later time, but it was just too cluttered.
• Reduction of image sizes (downgraded to medium size) and quantity (1 per project only) for a little less scrolling.

I will add more content as I have time to do so; it was just getting too cluttered.

A few construction updates from today, mostly non - City of Kalamazoo projects this time around:

This is the new Consumers Credit Union Headquarters, going up in the "Groves Center". Designed by HOK, it's probably the most interesting thing being built in the area right now. It's a three-story glass structure that floats above the ground plane:

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This is the new Cold Storage Warehouse at Pfizer. As you can see, it is a big concrete box:

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These next four are of construction progress at Portage Central High School's new natatorium:

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There's an attractive community garden tucked between two wings of the school:

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Here's a peek inside the new Portage Pediatric Dentistry on Old Centre Road. It is pretty large:

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The next three are of the Portage Memory Care facility, on Centre Avenue. It has been taking a while to wrap up:

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Here's a view of the earthwork happening at Portage Northern High School, where new athletic fields and stadium are to be built:

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A view of Trade Centre III - on the other side of I-94:

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And these last few are of the Vicksburg Lee Paper Mill. I wanted to see if anything was happening there yet with the big redevelopment plans. Zero activity today, but there is some evidence that roof work was being performed recently:

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I'll end with this tree stump, found in the cemetery behind the mill - it was huge! At least 7 feet in diameter. There were a few of about this size - pity they're gone now:

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My size 12 feet...

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The vacant Hardings at the bottom of Westnedge hill has been a big blank façade fronted by an empty parking lot since the grocery store closed several years ago. Now it looks like it is getting new life. I wish that this whole property could be developed more wholeheartedly, with new construction at a greater density, rather than just a renovation of an existing strip mall, but it's still good news for the neighborhood.

Old Hardings Market building in Kalamazoo getting a facelift
by WWMT Staff
May 19, 2017

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Image Source: Google Maps

Kalamazoo Humane Society plans new home
by Brady Gillum | WoodTV8
June 13, 2017

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Image Source: KAI

A beautiful day in SW Michigan. Construction progress photos from around town today:

Foundation work at The Exchange is moving along - for more update photos, click here:

https://vgsnpq-sn3301.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none

I haven't gone down Westnedge in a while. The Shoppes on Westnedge are already much further along than I thought. It sort of looks like a tornado came through though, the way they just left the old canopies upturned in the parking lot:

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The new RX Optical Headquarters is moving along:

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And Trade Centre III is starting to get its glazing installed:

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Community Planning and Development presented an update today to the Board of Commissioners, on the progress of the City's Strategic Vision for 2025. This preliminary document (which can be accessed and downloaded here) will be followed by a more formalized draft on July 3. A final version will be considered by the Commissioners two weeks after that.

There's a lot of information in the current draft, but it has a long way to go.

Construction progress continues on the perimeter parcels at The Corner @ Drake. While nothing is officially confirmed, rumors persist that the 'Natural Grocery" which will occupy about 13,000 SF of one of the structures under construction is going to be the first Trader Joes in Kalamazoo / SW Michigan. The next closest Trader Joe's opened in 2015 in Grand Rapids.

Looks like a Trader Joe's to me:

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Image Source: MLive | Al Jones

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Image Source: MLive | Al Jones

Construction progress photos, taken at the new Consumer's Credit Union Headquarters on 6/21. HOK - Chicago is the design Architect:

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The City of Kalamazoo is installing at least 52 new bike racks downtown this summer. This is just one part of the combined efforts of the City, Downtown Kalamazoo Inc, the Complete Streets Coalition, and Bronson Healthcare Group to promote bike use and access in the city.

The bike racks will increase bike parking opportunities in high-traffic areas the city, something that has been demanded by the avid cycling community for a long time.

A new article in MLive reveals some more information about the redevelopment plans for the former Simpson / Lee paper Mill site in Vicksburg. It is now a $50 million, multi-phase project. With phase 1 likely to include a new brewery, and to kick off as early as Spring 2018 if funding is secured.

What I find notable (and good) is that the owner of Paper City Development LLC, Chris Moore, grew up in the area, used to work at the mill, and currently owns a successful brewery in Seattle called "Old Stove Brewery". It sounds like the brewery built here will have the same name.

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Image Source: MLive | Courtesy South County News

Two updates on the Kalamazoo Commons property:

1. Talks are underway to find a new theater operator for the 'former' Alamo Drafthouse Cinema / 'former-former' Rave Cityplace 14, possibly by this Fall, although no details about what company yet, apart from it being a nationally-recognized "major theater operator". I hope whoever it is can do something about the exterior, which is terrible, in my opinion.

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Image Source: Al Jones | MLive

2. In the same complex, all of the ground-floor commercial storefronts on all three sides of the building (with the exception of Farmer's Alley Theatre) are undergoing conversion to apartments, slated to open this August. The conversion, which involves about 17,000 SF of formerly-designated retail space, will create 8 apartments with one to three bedrooms each, going for $1,500 to $3,000 per month. There are already 17 fully-leased units on the second floor (with a three-level parking deck above these).

It is a logical change; having commercial spaces along South Street, Portage Street, and Farmer's Alley made little to no sense in the first place, as there is hardly any foot traffic in the area, apart from those heading to / from WMU's School of Medicine.

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Image Source: Al Jones | MLive

A little bit of business development news for the area, from MiBiz's Growth Report last week:

1. Stryker Continues to Grow:

2. Quality Precast, Inc. Relocates and Expands:

Three restaurant / brewery-related developments in the area:

1. Bell's Brewery is investing $7M in new projects

Bell's will be doing capital improvement projects at its Comstock Township and Downtown Kalamazoo facilities now through 2018. According to the article, this will include a pilot brewery, specialty packaging line, new office space, and waste diversion systems at its Comstock location, as well as a smaller pilot brewery at the Downtown location.

2. Cove Lakeside Bistro will open in July on West Lake in Portage

Located at 9110 Portage Road, the renovated building previously housed Charron's on The Lake and Jason's Cove. The new restaurant will be operated by the growing Millennium Restaurant Group (which has always been hit-or-miss for me in terms of quality). It will also re-employ a former executive chef of the company. I'm surprised that Portage doesn't have more waterfront dining establishments like this, given the number of recreational lakes within the city limits.

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Image Source: Al Jones | MLive

3. CoreLife Eatery coming to Portage this Fall

CoreLife Eatery is a new 'active lifestyle restaurant' chain started in Syracuse in 2015. According to the article, "...the restaurant chain anticipates rapid expansion. It hopes to grow to 300 locations nationwide during the next five years, including corporate and franchise restaurants." This will be the second location in Michigan, to be located at 6300 S. Westnedge Ave. The first Michigan location is in Grandville, and is operated by the same franchisee.

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Image Source: Al Jones | MLive

Planning update for a bike route envisioned to connect Grand Rapids with Kalamazoo (which would be amazing):

There is an interactive map on the article that shows the proposed routes. The former interurban rail line route gets my vote.

Related to Post #90, it is now public that the anticipated 'Natural Grocery' under construction at The Corner @ Drake will in fact be a Trader Joe's.

It will be the first Trader Joe's in the area, with the next closest one being located about 50 miles away, in the Grand Rapids suburb-city of Kentwood.

Perhaps no major surprises with this study. Neighborhoods to the west and southwest of downtown have the highest education rates, highest home values, highest rent rates, and highest median incomes in the city (near WMU, older and more-educated white population, stable housing stock, etc). The north and east sides are generally struggling more, although I was a bit surprised to see that the Edison neighborhood has the lowest median home values in the city ($24,200), and that only 3.37% of its population holds a bachelor's degree or higher.

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Images Source: Malachi Barrett | MLive (Courtesy)

In what can only be described as huge local development news, Kalamazoo's first Cat Café will open its doors to the public tomorrow, 7/17:

It will be near Western's campus and should be popular with the college kids. Their website.