The Dow Science Center at Kalamazoo College is getting a significant remodel, including a new roof, lab and fire system upgrades, and new interior finishes.

The 33,000 SF building originally opened in 1992. The renovation is being funded in-part by a $2 million grant from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, which is also being used for electrical infrastructure upgrades at the college -

Not new construction, but the scaffolding certainly catches the eye as one travels down West Main Hill towards downtown -

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iudxcjfpto...ited.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/djitn7diy9...ited.jpg?raw=1

I finally made time to visit the recently-expanded Bank Street Farmers Market last Saturday. In short, it is a vastly-improved experience, and it is entirely unrecognizable from its predecessor. I would estimate that there were at least 2,000 people milling through the three sheds and the central commons area. There were probably ~ 200 vendor booths. I couldn't believe the amount of cars. Even the new, massive parking lot couldn't accommodate them all, so they were spilling over into adjoining streets. I think this is going to catalyze more development in the neighborhood, in the coming years.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0k3z3...jopso6av&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lscba...7u31nlu3&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wav4r...w5ylnyqc&raw=1

This paddock is the future site of a planned year-round indoor market / community use building -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zevsq...pyzv183g&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wt9ub...3hz3gi18&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1xz32...daglgsya&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ojvd8...7mg588ai&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/h2ih5...8vl414i2&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dkcgg...zwcmw75s&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cg5bv...yw8rmcsu&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kjww9...it2cz9cw&raw=1

$4.27M land sale for downtown Kalamazoo arena gets final approval from county leaders
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/leB7TZ...HL3TWLS57U.jpg
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...y-leaders.html

Texas Township -

One of the fastest-growing municipalities in Kalamazoo County is Texas Township. I took a drive yesterday evening to check out some of the developments in this rapidly suburbanizing area (relatively speaking) -

Lofts on Q - a 3-story, mixed-use development, which might be the first of its kind in this community (as far as I know). Located in the small "village center" of Texas Corners -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/abdx5...rx2sj5zn&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/igc7f...8eom3c4l&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ey5o0...166f8aam&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ffc82...udd62zas&raw=1

New township hall (much larger than its existing one, reflecting the growth in population and services). This is being built pretty much across the street from the current hall, in Texas Corners. Infrastructure upgrades, including wider road with dedicated center turning lane, can also be seen in the foreground -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/srw8q...iya4ob4w&raw=1

Rendering
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3nj83...xrq5t4nt&raw=1
Source: Texas Township

Redwood Texas Township, a 106-unit apartment development in Texas Corners -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yhb6c...xi8lnhhi&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/knm9h...4slkg53p&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e1lsp...txenhpcu&raw=1

I wasn't sure what this development just south of I-94 on 9th St. was. It looked rather institutional. My guess was a memory-care facility. A little detective work online indicates the property is owned by Houston, TX-based PSY Kalamazoo LLC, a "Dual Diagnosis Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment" center. Kinda weird that it was completely unsecured - no perimeter fence, doors & windows wide open, no signage of any kind -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1s9gu...w8p6o2rj&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mjo9z...jwdl6srw&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xgnqy...4kyrbpk8&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y5w1o...5cqc1no7&raw=1

The Bronson Outpatient Surgery Center appears finished (save for a lone ladder outside the main entrance) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a953g...pw8vpsw4&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zbwn0...cpz5e8vj&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4q77d...9jvith2q&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y9gou...dlro86kx&raw=1

Right next door is one of Bronson's many new primary care MOB's, completed a few years ago, but of which I never got a finished photo of -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sp1e2...4kufqz5v&raw=1

Right behind the surgery center, Authentix Kalamazoo - a 240-unit apartment complex - is under construction -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sgk0t...2kfbw53t&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rp98b...8k6dtfxj&raw=1

Rendering
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/41ydi...fs4qy5sp&raw=1
Source: Continental Properties

And, right next door to that, a separate, 166-unit "high-end" apartment is planned by Detroit-based Schafer Development. It is still just a field - no pictures taken -

Site plan
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xk7k4...hwaqokhr&raw=1
Source: MLive | Schafer Development

Lastly, as I was driving back home, I was greeted by Amtrak, and this license plate frame (which I will not claim to agree with) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2kasn...gu1bkiv1&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sc097...p0xzt10h&raw=1

"Lofts"
 

I know 'lofts' is a meaningless word, but the ones on Q Avenue have the smallest windows of any "loft" I've seen. Looks more like a cold storage facility, but I guess any multi-family in the suburbs is a net gain. I don't even hate the apartments that look like your standard slap-up sprawl-bor-hood. Renters need options too. I approve of almost anything denser than a standalone ranch on a quarter acre, as long as I don't have to live there.

The 9th street area developments are long overdue.

Yeah, I have the same thoughts. "Lofts" is the same as "luxury" and "high-end" these days.

Those tiny windows must be at the kitchen sinks, or perhaps in a bathroom? I agree, the proportions feel off. But, if this project is a harbinger of more 3-4 story, denser apartments yet to come in Texas (and other) peripheral townships, I probably won't complain too much. Texas Twp. is one of just a few municipalities experiencing steady, double-digit growth, percentage-wise. While it's still "small" in the grand scheme of things, across the past-three decade censuses, my quick math shows that its growth has looked like this:

1990: 7,563
2000: 10,974 (45%)
2010: 14,796 (35%)
2020: 17,691 (20%)

It's definitely too big of a stretch to call it the next Portage, but as 9th St. continues to get built-up, and as jobs, residents, and traffic slowly increase, I think it might start feeling more and more like its more heavily-suburbanized neighbor to the east. There are at least 500 new units of multi-family housing being built or in the planning stages.

Sidenote: I presently live in a standalone ranch on a 1/4 acre, so I guess I'm part of the problem. Hopefully I get a small pass for not contributing to further sprawl too much, because our house is approaching 70 years old, and is located in a long-established, post-WW2, middle-ring neighborhood.

¼ acres
 

Ha. I lived on a one-third acre lot in a 100-year old neighborhood until a few years ago. I'm only unhappy about NEW construction gobbling up land while everyone complains about wooded lots in the center of the urban area being developed for multi-story multi-family within walking distance of downtown.

:brickwall:

Enjoy the built environment wherever you are people. But please don't bulldoze farmland for a new mcmansion. Fill in some vacant lot somewhere.

We went to The Crossroads mall in Portage yesterday, just to walk around / kill some time. While it can't quite be put on the "extinct" list (yet), I'd definitely classify it as "endangered / threatened". Some observations:

• From the very beginning of the experience, the ring access road is completely wrecked with potholes. I think the mall was actually trying to sue the city / the public transit system a few years ago, blaming the bulk of the damage on the public buses.
• Only two of four anchor stores are open (Macys and JC Penney). The other two anchor tenant stores, most recently occupied by Sears (closed in 2019) and Burlington (relocated to Maple Hill Pavilion on West Main in 2021), remain vacant.
• Everything is very tired and worn. Finishes are fading, peeling, and cracked. The carpeted areas (near the bathrooms, no less - eww) are so stained it makes you want to gag.
• The food court only has three operating restaurants - a pizza joint, a Chinese food joint, and a wings joint (I guess of those three, I'd trust the wings the most?). All of the other food court establishments and separate restaurants closed years ago.
• The carousel in the food court disappeared a few years ago too, replaced by some "life size" games, consisting of a few decrepit "Connect 4" games, and some giant Jenga blocks. I guess the carousel was too expensive to maintain.
• While I'd estimate that the overall occupancy rate is probably around 75 - 80%, a lot of the stores look to be doing little to no business.
• There's a disproportionate number of shoe stores - these seem to be the most popular thing.
• Quite a few mom & pop stores too (mostly Asian owned / themed).
• There was visible, but light, foot traffic. Granted, we were there on a Monday, late afternoon / early evening. But I've been there on weekends and it isn't much better.
• Several of the vacant stores have been replaced with cheap-looking, poorly-maintained "arcade" games, several of which are broken / damaged, most of which offer very cheap-looking prizes, and all of which are in need of a good dusting.
• Many of the posters throughout the mall are "relics" from the height of the pandemic - promoting face masks and reminding you to wash your hands regularly and get your vaccinations.

Unless things change soon, I regret to say that I think The Crossroads is headed towards the same fate as many other suburban malls. I'd like to see management get a little more creative, because it really doesn't seem like they care. Malls that seem to be doing better are the ones that are reinventing themselves as more of a destination (within Michigan, think Great Lakes Crossing, or Somerset Collection). I guess the Kalamazoo-Portage metro isn't large enough to sustain higher-end brands, nor some of the bigger investments that would be needed to create destination-based, family-centric experiences, like a Lego Discovery Center or an indoor aquarium, etc.

I think I'm just getting old, and feeling nostalgia for the days of my 90's childhood, when going to an indoor mall was pretty much what you'd do on a weekend. Pretty soon, the original "Mall City" might not have a single indoor walking mall left.

This is a awesome old building props to whoever is plugging away after the fire.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/drz8oc490f...ited.jpg?raw=1

^ According to GIS data, it is currently owned by a Matthew J. Norman. It was purchased in 2016 for $55,000, from Christian Life Center, which owned it since 2010. LinkedIn shows he works as a technician for a local fire protection contractor. My best guess is that the building is being converted for some sort of contractor-related business use. But that's the best detective work I've been able to do on it.

I have a backlog of piecemeal updates from around the area. Nothing that feels justified to spend copious amounts of time on or to do an individual post on. Collectively, they do paint a picture of a lot of things happening; there just hasn't been any major development news for a while. Here's some highlights, and I'll post more later -

1. The new $99 million WMU Student Center is officially open to the public, after numerous delays and 4-years worth of construction headaches brought on by pandemic-related supply-chain issues and a costly structural retrofit. The soft opening was on July 31, and there will be a more formal grand opening in late August. I'll check it out in person one of these days and grab a beer in the on-campus brewpub -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4sxmb...hqwcfbdq&raw=1
Source: Aya Miller | MLive

2. Michigan Avenue officially has bike lanes painted through downtown. One lane of traffic for cars has been taken away, for 2-way bike lanes through the urban core, which then reduce back to 1 bike lane, beyond the city center. As you can imagine, navigating through downtown right now is a hot mess, with ongoing construction, lane changes, and confused motorists. Time will tell how all of this bike lane stuff does. My fear is that the painting is a cheap intervention and will fade very fast, and bikers will still be wary to use them because of the way cars careen through downtown -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/717mz...p1rs58t5&raw=1
Source: MLive

3. In Portage, City Council has approved a new, 103-unit senior living facility, to be built around the vacant Beacon Pointe Memory Care building on East Centre Avenue. I didn't even realize that Beacon Pointe was empty - it was built just a few years ago. The existing building at 732 E. Centre will remain, and a pretty large addition will be added to it. Several adjacent buildings, including a Montessori Academy at 810 E. Centre and a single-family residence at 906 E. Centre will be demolished to make room for it, and the lots will be rezoned.

Architecturally, it is nothing super-exciting, and about on-par for what you'd expect in Portage. But it's probably better than a vacant building, and will offer one more option for senior living in the area. The article reports that this will yield 22 independent-living units, 49 skilled-nursing units, 12 assisted-living memory care units, and 20 assisted-living care units for independent living -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kiwpj...9bbaj2i9&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bobwi...cx3ry5ah&raw=1
Source: MLive | Henrickson Architecture + Planning

4. Also in Portage, the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott is now open at Trade Centre Way. Sweet EIFS dreams!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v6z3x...67jy3u2a&raw=1
Source: hospitality.net | Marriott

thanks for the updates.
 

The updates are appreciated, as always.

Sadly, the cool new WMU Student Center will not be opening with a brewpub, or serving beer. There is no operator identified or contracted for that space. It's empty. BYOB. :cheers:

This is likely due to no parking nearby to accommodate the community visitors that would need to keep it afloat during the summer and holiday lulls. There is limited, metered parking available at the entrance. I'm not sure what the enforced metering hours are. Say "metered parking" and half of your potential audience tunes out anyway. This is going to be a heavy lift.

When the new parking ramp nearby opens years from now, the situation may change. That said, the new center is indeed very nice and a welcome addition. There are limited venues open until after classes start on Aug. 30.

KVCC has a reputable brewing program; WMU should just partner up with them :cheers:

On with some more updates -

First, a few exterior views of the finished WMU Student Center. This first one looks like a rendering to me, but it's real -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/aon63...i11vd4q4&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | WMU

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vprrq...q62j71cd&raw=1
Source: WMU News

Sticking with WMU, the women's basketball locker room is getting a redo -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n2gcz...mbjah5eg&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g1oua...crh6por8&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | AVB

The WMU Stadium Club renovation is also wrapping up, just in time for the start of the football season -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9q3zz...q90x4szi&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rg529...leewzvrt&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6289g...hi9adpen&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | AVB

Sticking with the athletic theme, construction has started on the new Kalamazoo Country Club. This massive, $100+ million upgrade will include a partially-underground parking garage, indoor & outdoor dining and event spaces, a golf performance center, pro shop, fitness & wellness space, and racquet facilities. As if that wasn't enough, there will also be an aquatics complex, bowling alley, and movie theater. I sometimes hear people claiming that Kalamazoo is becoming a place just for the rich, which is categorically false. But in this one particular instance, they are spot-on, and I do feel a little sympathy for the neighbors that lost their trees and views of nature for this playground for the wealthy.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5yand...h63sb0qs&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/00stx...6vlaeuku&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xqjfh...aa6a7kbs&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | The H. Chambers Company

Contractors have finished a multi-million dollar renovation of the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites that started in 2020. All 340 of the rooms, plus 50,000 SF of event space, have gotten a refresh. I have a feeling this remodel was prompted by the recent influx of new, competing hotel brands around town. I've walked through it and it is much, much better than how it used to look -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4rhzo...pn9ehp1l&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/65y51...pbo2mqvy&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jg1jl...7acgqimk&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5k4bn...3nvjcp8a&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9gavj...l19p5nes&raw=1
Source: Wood TV 8

Exchange Place Alley has gotten some new lighting, as part of the city's ongoing efforts to strengthen placemaking and connectivity downtown -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1qjk1...zzpi4a54&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zk61k...8buyewft&raw=1
Source: Facebook | City of Kalamazoo

The new Bronson Orthopedic Surgery Center, located on Beatrice Drive in Texas Township, had a ribbon cutting on July 28. This is the latest part of a 52-acre site that Bronson continues to develop into a satellite "Health Village". It contains four operating suites, programmed for sports medicine, joint replacement surgery, hand surgery, fracture repair, foot and ankle surgery, general orthopedic surgery, and the like -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zs57w...gji3w4uq&raw=1
Source: Bronson Health

The Bluffs at Gull Lake is a 48-unit apartment development nearing completion in Gull Lake (Ross Township). There are four buildings, located on the bluff overlooking the lake at 12135 M-89. No photos, but here are some renderings -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/slqp1...9p1sxz8m&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5ufa3...37k693ni&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/11dyb...e81h5k68&raw=1
Source: The Bluffs at Gull Lake

Some more updates from around Kalamazoo -

An opening date for the new courthouse has been set - October 16. After that, everyone (or at least, I) will be looking intently at the historic court house building that fronts Michigan Avenue, to see what PlazaCorp does with it -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/31bvm...6jage6ci&raw=1
Source: Raymond Hole | WWMT

Related, the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners recently voted to authorize negotiation of the purchase of property at 246 W. Kalamazoo Ave. with plans to convert the land into parking that will serve the new justice complex. This is one of many puzzle pieces in play around the plans for the new downtown arena / event center. While no one will miss this remuddled Metro PCS dealer, there's also not a lot of excitement to be had for another surface lot downtown. But maybe it will be a parking garage with some street-level activity -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lxcbd...t4p2tn3g&raw=1
Source: MLive

More exciting than a parking lot, KPS' new Edison Academy is finished. The $25 million elementary school will welcome students in 2 weeks -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/63yvb...k6livmv5&raw=1
Source: MLive

ISK's new 34/7 behavioral health urgent care also officially opened - last month -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v4z7x...zjuzokbw&raw=1
Source: ISK

A new event venue opened downtown recently, in the Main Street East property (251 East Michigan Ave. Suite 108). It occupies space that was most-recently vacated by Southwest Michigan First, which moved to the new Catalyst Center, just north of there, as well as a few other tenants -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mpdzz...zz84ch1c&raw=1
Source: Desenberg Events

A local architect has purchased the small commercial office building at 621 S Park St, with plans to convert it into his private residence. The building has some late mid-century + post-modern vibes, and even though a zoning variance was required, it seems like a befitting use, given that the surrounding properties are largely residential as well. I heard a rumor that this building, which most recently served as law offices, was originally constructed as a residence, but I've bene unable to verify that. It was originally built in 1981, and features flat roofs and a low-slung profile that is partially imbedded in the landscape. It looks like it has always been a commercial structure. But either way, this conversion project definitely seems like something that would entice an architect as a good challenge. Work has already begun on the repurposing, including new roofing and a pretty extensive gutting of the interior. First are some interior photos from the real-estate listing, followed by some of my own exterior walk-by photos, from August 1 -

A blast from the past, with finishes very reminiscent of the house I grew up in, right down to the red laminate countertops, red carpeting, and dark-stained wood -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mcrjz...t9uxmfn6&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/71zl1...og6j84bb&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ci5no...as64tvli&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bnhdl...4z3e7lrc&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xzjji...pe70jcw1&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wfzhz...inosp1k2&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/24csd...l6is0t7a&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1cvhx...1gqihm2j&raw=1

I didn't dare try to take interior photos through the windows, but it does appear that much of the inside has been gutted, so I fear a lot of this vintage "character" has been removed -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lj54p...u7iq4m2h&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/celpf...2r49cxzo&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/69plf...baaoicdq&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9p1pt...zswybu4w&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qz8pi...cchgs6cz&raw=1

At long last, there has been some movement on this five-story, 64-unit senior apartment building planned for a surface lot on S Rose St -

I drove past the site on my way to work this morning and crews were already out on site doing some work. Encouraging - I was half suspecting this project was dead.

The city also awarded funds to the Northside Neighborhood's planned Zion Place development, a 70-unit senior living project -

Portage -

Tall Timbers Progress. Exterior finishes have begun, and I think they look pretty good -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cshqq...pxxjz3j1&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8km9g...s61xyb3a&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5ewnb...1e8xdhrn&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | AVB

Few people probably realize that Kalamazoo is the only place in Michigan that Abraham Lincoln ever stepped foot, where he delivered a speech against the expansion of slavery 167 years ago. A statue that was a decade in the making to commemorate that event was unveiled on Sunday, in Bronson Park -

Less than 2 days later, it was vandalized -

Steel is starting at the KRESA Career Tech Center -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6x6te...5bm88g0g&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | CSM Group (image credit - Blake Nichols at CSM Group)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4j7vs...7bzdhuep&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | KRESA (image credit - Shannon at CSM Group)

Battle Creek -

DoubleTree by Hilton progress - on track for Q4 2024 opening -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jmc2m...nlh6u7zs&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qf4ad...r5zrbilv&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7dmx8...xepfvmoq&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zx516...kfzv1v61&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Battle Creek Unlimited

I'm at work, but in a procrastinating mood, so here are a few random, deferred updates, from in & near Kalamazoo -

East Side Square, phase 2 progress (8 condos + commercial space along E Main) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wdyap...8zp93blp&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/r1cbv...k73hgt9z&raw=1
Source: Fran Dwight | Second Wave Media

NACD Northside / Ransom St. infill project. These photos are already a bit dated, because the basements for the last 2 homes have been completely poured -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kkiiy...5gdyqm2s&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/07ayk...5xqnyer8&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o4d4k...4pve5x9w&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bqi0o...93hpc7pc&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Abonmarche Byce

Right across the street from here, this house seemingly collapsed in on itself overnight. Although I'm pretty sure it was intentionally demolished, the debris has just been sitting there for a month with no further activity. No idea what is planned for this. Side note, Google actually captured the before & after, with some fresh street view imagery from July 2023 -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sbn9z...wn6wgxjk&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5tc3k...nxcuugoh&raw=1
Source: My own photos

This old church (Trinity Lutheran) has been getting some exterior masonry repairs, which I've been watching progress on my commutes to work -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/icw8i...51y34tlc&raw=1
Source: My own photo

Here are some photos I took on a recent tour of the new Gull Lake Center for the Fine Arts (opened in 2022), part of the Gull Lake Community Schools district campus in Richland Township -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6ysyl...7saoudjj&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dtmrd...d3bbj4rs&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a53nb...l9g2k56l&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/70uii...4g4vmpld&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rtock...61caetjo&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/650g2...iydl447b&raw=1
Source: My own photos

This little commercial development popped up seemingly overnight at 6289 W Main, in the ever-suburbanizing Oshtemo Township. It looks like 5 suites available to rent -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7yoco...q5b5fdye&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ll4f8...xzub6yvx&raw=1
Source: My own photos

J. Rettenmaier (industrial fibers) is expanding its operations in Schoolcraft Township, south of Kalamazoo. Photos are of a precast addition, a few weeks old now -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ngzjh...ij4ivhox&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sm35x...tp2nhi2l&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0x1ws...gm67l9p4&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/d9vu4...gg431ylv&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Abonmarche Byce

The 5-story senior housing project at 530 S Rose St. is finally underway! The perimeter fence is installed, and auger drilling has commenced. Photos by me, today -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cc1zx...lumdfdte&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/q38mi...430crkaw&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lsv3z...ncl2x0mb&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bmu2j...rtdl3i9a&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/iahhh...549ahqsn&raw=1

The building shrunk and the price tag has gone up $2 million. Also, from the new rendering in the article, it looks like they VE'd the second floor out of the project and simplified the finishes & massing. But even so, it's good to know this project is proceeding. It looks as though it will still have some curb presence too.

Here's a slightly older rendering, still showing 2 stories -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u0hbn...3r27qudr&raw=1
Source: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo

The new Ford battery plant in Marshall can now move forward as a judge dismissed the challenge to the rezoning for the facility.

Judge dismisses complaint against Marshall Megasite rezoning; opponents to amend complaint
https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/...g/70856090007/

^ Can't say I'm at all surprised, though the article does also note:

Meanwhile, foundation work proceeds. Here's the latest update, from a buddy of mine. I'd say the music choice fits the sentiment of many locals -

https://youtu.be/WGsa4LeG8pc?si=0_f5dmgqh4Ku92L1

Maybe I'm just not understanding, but this sounds like a bad idea, on top of an already bad idea. Let's compel the local businesses, already struggling to make a profit, to cater to the growing homeless population's restroom needs, because the city can't get anything done. Don't worry, if someone ODs, falls asleep, clogs the toilet, etc. in your shop, our part-time ambassadors will get right on it :rolleyes: Meanwhile, it's still perfectly fine to piss on the sidewalks and in Bronson Park.

The city promotes the fact that public restrooms are available, but from 10:00pm to 7:30am, there is literally one single toilet that can be accessed by the hundreds of homeless downtown - the Portland Loo, installed in 2020 near the Arcadia Creek festival site.

A jobsite trailer is in place across the street from the construction site at 530 S. Rose. Perimeter shoring is installed and the auger driller has already come and gone. We should be seeing foundations very soon -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o34sv...huioh012&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n7aq4...160bd6ta&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zhz24...msf5c2wx&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8zoba...2ypflro2&raw=1

Despite the requirement to protect the neighboring foundations, I am pretty sure that the adjacent pink house is vacant and probably not long for this world, because it is in pretty rough shape -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a5h4b...wxe0b17k&raw=1

The downtown Justice Facility (oft constructed, never finished) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dm23m...gzws36aq&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wc5ay...ajhxhpec&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mnj61...kyx2hokt&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/le3nr...0xskqy1r&raw=1

Because of the construction delays with the new courthouse, officials have been discussing designing and building an additional courtroom at the Gull Road complex, so as to not create any further delays at the downtown site (an additional circuit court judge was recently added, but there is no assigned space for this new judge to hold court in the currently-under construction facility) -

Nearby, the former Whitley Memorial Funeral Home at 330 N Westnedge awaits its own impending funeral. The windows were recently removed, and the surrounding site, which had been used for staging materials for the new justice center, is now cleared. This was probably a handsome house, back in the day. Now, it is one of the last remaining structures standing between oblivion and the future downtown event center. It looks like it's probably just a matter of hours before this one returns to the dust -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n3mhp...mqt0p61k&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ojedq...y2vik48x&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fdvto...9iee8rtg&raw=1

Kalamazoo downtown lunch observations -

The city's second Portland Loo is installed. Unlike the first one, this one is only semi-public - it is situated within the enclosure of the children's nature playscape, and therefore only accessible to users of the space during normal operating hours -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1g8jz...2e3qpo84&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l5r6j...vsagd1xn&raw=1

A work crew was dismantling this war memorial statuary in front of the courthouse. Presumably, these will find a new home at the new courthouse, and this is one of the early steps in handing the property over to PlazaCorp -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uzj5w...r1ql3adk&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o0gzx...jdqpw0wb&raw=1

This seems like a silly use of funds -

Unrelated, I had dinner in Texas Corners on Monday and afterward, I checked-in on the Lofts on Q. Surprisingly, I don't mind the finishes too much. Not sure how well they will age though -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fldfl...8ysbf438&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e9rte...nqnvlcul&raw=1

The next (final) two houses of this NACD infill development are framed up -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hnc8a...6w0vkj47&raw=1

$30M gift will allow Kalamazoo College to build new dorm
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...-new-dorm.html

Affordable apartment complex a step closer to being built in Kalamazoo
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/OP3J-z...T7YJCQLZ4Q.jpg
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...kalamazoo.html

A few updates from here & there -

Kalamazoo -

KDPS Station No. 2 had a ribbon cutting last week. It's definitely a level-up from the architecture of Station No. 1 -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mqnf5...coq2eyg0&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qiyhq...nx3tmxz6&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/613d9...jq8pjicd&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kfe3i...ps4fv546&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Becky Holland Fuller

Pavilion Township -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rotwr...0tzn1rdv&raw=1
Source: Crain's Grand Rapids | Courtesy Photo

Portage -

The members-only Beacon Club closed it doors a few years ago, due to declining membership. I has since been purchased by local Frenchman Francois Moyet, and reimagined as 'A La Ferme' (At The Farm), a restaurant that will be open to the general public. Moyet is also the current owner of the Henderson Castle. I've never been, so I can't discern from these photos how much was really updated from the Beacon Club days. But it doesn't look like much. The décor looks pretty old & tired, unless that was an intentional choice -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1sva4...oav4umha&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yn1hk...phnhpm81&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3bvbp...0g0rm1i3&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4fs1w...hgctmxgy&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hho5r...xmqwdc4p&raw=1
Source: Pat Hagan | WWMT

Foundations have started at 530 S Rose Senior Housing -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/slhgt...9p5446gh&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2bs46...ewcaw3fg&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tmtwj...sv6vvkim&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/b6xmk...ff077nfz&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/70qjd...8d4ru0cv&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jw1wn...vn2nm89q&raw=1

NACD Infill -
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/h2caq...5ewdjv9j&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0sh9e...jxcy1jgb&raw=1

Maybe 4th time's the charm?

They are moving at a pretty fast clip, at 530 S Rose. It's almost as if they want to get the foundations done before winter comes! Photos taken this morning -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5vad1...ervwopag&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/46b0b...od289g3i&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zpuo0...dru2t71s&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/j8f2s...nvl4bk8r&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1pxzl...194gm3qq&raw=1

If there was any doubt out there about the scale and scope of the Kalamazoo Country Club expansion (estimated at over $100 million), feast your eyes on this -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6hsnd...nn6jveqz&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/38wlx...2qfv18ii&raw=1

You can really see the underground parking garage coming into form -
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/skns7...8r1mb8h6&raw=1
Source: Facebook | John Lacko

I’m sure most people have heard of Battle Creek’s Moniker Cereal City but has anyone ever heard of Kalamazoo’s Celery City? Apparently Kalamazoo was THE world center of celery production popularizing and producing the vegetable into what we know it as today. Michigan is the nations #2 celery producer behind California. I was going to post a video from Restless Viking about Arcadia Creek but somehow I clicked on a video about celery and found it interesting.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nFy4Q_BAbv8

A walk down Arcadia Creek and its history. Gotta hand it to
the man Restless Viking finds and makes niche history interesting.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dtNCcAhFirs

Neat videos - thanks for sharing.

Yeah, the Celery City moniker doesn't really make any sense in the collective conscience anymore, though I do still see reference to it from time to time, but really only on the micro-local level.

Watching that first video reminded me of this "classic" Portlandia Sketch:

• Video Link

Other "nicknames" that Kalamazoo has held through time, to varying degrees of popularity:

• Bedding plant capital of the world*
• Paper City (for it's one-time abundance of paper manufacturing, which there is still a hint of)
• Mall City (for its claim of having the first outdoor pedestrian mall in the country)
• Beer City / Beer Town (along with hundreds of other cities these days)
• The Zoo (and other variants, like KZoo, K'zoo, Kazoo, etc.)
• Windmill City (another antiquated manufacturing industry)
• Debt-Free City (only city in the country of 50,000+ to have its debts paid during the Great Depression)
• Weed City (for the over-abundance of pot shops)

*Pretty wordy and not-at-all sexy, but Kalamazoo County produces the most bedding plants in Michigan and around 75% of all bedding plants in the country.

530 S Rose progress, taken during my lunch, yesterday -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1kv9x...m15kgt69&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k5hbj...i0hn4lpy&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9tm01...fwx7lh7p&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hsstc...mszq8l0f&raw=1
Source: Joel Bissell | MLive

A mishmash of things today, including several aerial views that I have been saving up, from some of our local, talented drone photographers -

City skyline, from about a month back, with the changing leaves -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4ih30...mkrdbc6y&raw=1
Source: Facebook | William Dolak

Another angle, with a closeup on the new(ish) 180 E Water St. / Catalyst Development -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xbg3i...q4og0ukg&raw=1
Source: Facebook | William Dolak

This former bank building, at the corner of Burdick and Crosstown Parkway, had construction fencing and equipment, as of a few weeks ago. I was able to confirm that Bronson Methodist Hospital purchased it. Rumor has it that this is being abated for asbestos / hazardous materials, and that it is going to be torn town, once abatement is finished. It was definitely oversized & outdated, for the way most modern banking happens today. It was most recently a 5/3rd Bank. In the past, it was Old Kent & others. It originally opened as American National Bank, about 60 years ago, in 1964 -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y63po...p05wsa53&raw=1
Source: Facebook | John Johnson

A late summer aerial photo from near Kalamazoo / Battle Creek International Airport, right beneath the final approach vector for runway 35. This is a great shot that really exemplifies the natural "valley" topography of the city -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pxjkm...k6ol7qnl&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Caleb Stauffer (Stauffer Aerial)

Another great aerial shot of the sun setting beyond WMU's Waldo Stadium, just before kickoff of the big MAC rivalry game, WMU vs. Central Mich. (the Broncos won) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fnfvz...xmgd2ex2&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Caleb Stauffer (Stauffer Aerial)

These next three are all aerial views concentrated on the four blocks of Arcadia West, which are being cleared & vacated for the future event center. The last few of the old buildings on these blocks are now cleared -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7rqle...5ezxeund&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Caleb Stauffer (Stauffer Aerial)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2jgw1...0numa4wm&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Caleb Stauffer (Stauffer Aerial)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/j5run...9606le1q&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Caleb Stauffer (Stauffer Aerial)

A unique, low-altitude fish-eye rendering of an empty downtown Kalamazoo on Thanksgiving day -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3s1om...xy39if2v&raw=1
Source: Facebook | William Dolak

This vanilla-looking, 7,500 SF, $4 million Hamptons Plaza at 6289 W. Main Street in Oshtemo Township (developed by Battle Creek-based Carroll Development) is finished. It will include up to 5 commercial storefronts, the first of which sounds like it will be a nail salon -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nfom7...ko7xg8dv&raw=1
Source: MLive | Joel Bissell

Demolition of the unassuming 40 Winks Motel began yesterday. This old roadside relic was located along Douglas Avenue just north of the US 131 business loop. It opened in late 1954 and declined over the decades. It served as low-cost lodging, including rooms rented by the hour. One of its more unsavory nicknames was "40 Wanks". Most-recently, it served as a kind of halfway house for folks struggling on the doorstep of homelessness. The property is zoned 201 - Commercial (Kalamazoo Township) and owned by The Colby Family Trust. No word on if there are plans for the cleared lot -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/065nb...p1cx6e3d&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Mark Cottingham

Someone on Facebook posted this old postcard of it, from 1955 -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uadc3...1fniy4yz&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Dorothy Decker

Some views of the new Women's Basketball locker facilities at WMU -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uuhhr...4iqbt8nc&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xnfow...v6j7w988&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kusum...rd53ki6v&raw=1

I'm diggin' the wall graphic showing the downtown street system -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7xuzz...tet03zi6&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3i3td...1ag1ofop&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | AVB

I still don't know how these two projects can coexist -

https://wwmt.com/news/local/kalamazo...ention-center-

I think the apartment project has to be dead given the plans for the arena, and how there have been zero updates, though the original announcement said that the arena would not impact this project.

My only guess is if these towers are designed to remain entirely south of Arcadia Creek, and then the arena lies entirely north of it, it could all fit. Of course, the latest public renderings of the event center depict a parking garage, south of the creek. It seems like the two design + development teams have been working in separate silos. But now that plans have been made public and stuff seems to actually have the momentum to move forward, maybe there is some behind-the-curtain collaboration happening, that we just don't know about yet.

For example, maybe they are working through a plan to integrate housing atop a parking garage, or else only constructing one residential tower, in the southwest corner.

Related, I noticed a double-wide jobsite trailer has appeared, near where the funeral home was, in the northwest quadrant.

The new courthouse is done. The official public opening is this coming Monday. They are packing up and moving out of the old building this week. Now the public's attention will turn more intently to what PlazaCorp has planned for the old courthouse building. I'd be amazed / impressed if they proposed anything other than a residential conversion, given the current lack of appetite for commercial real estate, but we will see. There is an interesting provision that the building façade cannot be altered until 2037 (when it turns 100-years old) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/shxhd...f0n4nptc&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Vince Roberti

Pretty cool photos at this article link -

They were pumping concrete this morning when I walked by 530 S Rose -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jhxu2...qyv0ez2k&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2y6vx...85omzxhh&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/46hbr...nvj6jqhu&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bitkl...8vpafoo6&raw=1

A couple photos (taken & found), of progress on the KRESA Career Tech Center -

Clerestory framing going up -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cynlm...fjq9h9px&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Blake Nichols, EIT, STSC (CSM Group)

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c5rhn...ztqi7cpl&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Blake Nichols, EIT, STSC (CSM Group)

The rest are my own, taken Friday -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rlfcn...z6s0uv3c&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t8orz...91u1vq2o&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ia4lq...zrptw1xz&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m8ha3...mlqfsdm4&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f9rz2...bpwqjxet&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u39v3...hxhqjoy9&raw=1

New $40M youth sports complex considered for Kalamazoo County
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...oo-county.html

^ I'm very skeptical that something like this would generate a billion dollars over twenty years. Maybe I'm way out of touch. The study concluded that there are 20 million people within a 3-hour drive. Are they really banking on people traveling from Waukegan to Kalamazoo for a youth sports complex? There's probably a thousand existing facilities between here and there that would serve whatever need they might have. It's sort of an absurd fact to try and justify this with.

It's also just kind of hard to get excited about a suburban sports complex in general, which for that budget, will likely be little more than a pre-engineered metal box sitting out in the middle of a field in Texas Township.

Sorry, I guess I'm just in a pissy mood today.

The fourth sign to grace this downtown Kalamazoo cinema was installed two weeks ago. You can still make out the echo of the former AMC signage -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/raxsx...nttaxo36&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Kalamazoo Gazette (MLive)

The first two out of four infill houses on the Northside are wrapping up. The last two are fully-enclosed -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/34tcg...kh1sfwnu&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/glvfl...qb42y2bk&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/18x6o...7avk0idj&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/thevz...i9nkj4ak&raw=1
Source: Facebook | Abonmarche Byce

I spotted no less than four moving trucks at the old courthouse on Friday. I can't imagine the task of emptying the entirety of the contents of this building. Imagine some of the documents stored in there...

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nbf1r...mtbjgl55&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x5yxy...3wqiukww&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ccxi9...dz6pg4q0&raw=1

The reconstructed Lake Street, near the Expo Center / fairgrounds, is complete -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pbdf3...qq2jspk9&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/79g18...edqaehop&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mf37w...tr233l1z&raw=1
Source: LinkedIn | Prein & Newhoff

Here is a quick flyover of the KRESA Career Connect Campus -

• Video Link

The next phase in WMU's Hilltop Village campus reimagining is underway. From their capital projects website:

This phase includes an extension of a loop road that will connect with the current Arcadia Loop, as well as pedestrian walkways (including a new bridge), expansive "viewshed" green space, and a 5-story parking structure with initial capacity for 357 vehicles (and the ability to expand to a future total of 570). The parking structure will be located directly behind the new Arcadia Flats (where the old Ernest / Smith Burnham Residence Hall used to sit - demolished last winter). You can see the beginnings of the new parking structure foundations at this live construction camera.

Hilltop Village parking structure rendering -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rzemq...u3vu2qu9&raw=1

Pedestrian bridge rendering -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e6t6f...kh5lbby2&raw=1

And an overall site plan -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rizrw...uf1czxva&raw=1
Source: WMU Capital Projects - Parking Structure

Construction camera views from earlier today -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w5edd...v4j84hox&raw=1
Source: WMU Facilities Maintenance Webcam 2

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ly9fd...j57vq5xd&raw=1
Source: WMU Facilities Maintenance Webcam 3

Loop road extension detail -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rfste...cuj3fjbo&raw=1
Source: WMU Capital Projects - Hilltop Village Loop Road and Open Space

Also, unrelated to the above, the veranda which spans the north façade of Miller Auditorium was entirely replaced this past summer. The new design added accessible ramps and a grand stair facing fountain plaza. New lighting, seating, and landscaping were also part of the project. I have not been to see it in-person yet, but judging by the below, it is a bit clunky-looking (then again, so is Miller Auditorium) -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qm44i...17iw83vu&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s6ad9...knfzcovn&raw=1
Source: WMU Capital Projects - Miller Auditorium Veranda Replacement

Hardly even post-worthy, but I noticed yesterday while picking something up at Kalamazoo College that there is a small, unremarkable addition / remodel happening at the K College Facilities Building (this building that parallels the train tracks and Stadium Drive). Looks to be some additional garage bays and support space -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t90iw...51ds1xny&raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8ric0...cwg9ryhe&raw=1

Happy New Year, and Happy 1,000th post on this thread!
:cheers:

Thanks to everyone who checks-in and contributes here. It means a lot to me to see that this thread that only started in 2017 already has 443,799 views (which is a higher view count than many other threads on SSP that represent areas that are much bigger than Kalamazoo and that have been around much longer. But who knows, maybe most of those views are just my own :rolleyes:).

Below are some quick 2023 Kalamazoo highlights, plus some 2024 predictions. 2023 was not as big a banner year as some previous years, but there were still some notable milestones. What are your development predictions & hopes for the new year?

2023 Highlights

• ~ $25 million(?) 530 S Rose St (senior living apartments) begins construction (total guess on my part for the cost).
• ~ $94 million "Judge Charles A. Pratt" Justice Center opens downtown.
• ~ $95 million Zoetis expansion wraps up.
• ~ $100+ million Kalamazoo Country Club expansion begins construction.
• ~ $100+ million KRESA Career Tech Center begins construction.
• ~ 300+ million downtown arena / event center plans pick up steam, and the practical pieces required to make it a reality begin to fall into place.

2024 Predictions / Hopes

• Downtown arena / event center breaks ground.
• We see an actual redevelopment proposal get approved for 116 W Cedar St. (the former downtown fire station).
• Development plans for the new Kalamazoo College Dormitory along W Main St. will be revealed.
• We learn something about PlazaCorp's plans for what will come of the old courthouse.
• Projects that WILL break ground (and actually start construction): The Legacy, Hawthorne Park, Arcadia Lofts, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo, & Bank Street Farmers Market Phase 2 (indoor, year-round event space).
• Projects that will NOT break ground (not my hope, but my prediction nonetheless): River's Edge (River Caddis Development), Hard Rock Reverb Hotel & Gibson Guitar Museum, 140 S Edwards St. Redevelopment, 619 Porter Development, 902 W North St / Jabez (I suspect this is already dead, but nothing officially announced), 718 N. Burdick St. development, & Kalamazoo Northside Tiny Homes.
• WMU Broncos (football team) will have a better campaign than 2023 and will have a winning record and make it back to a bowl game.