I took a few walks around downtown this past week to see some of the smaller changes in our community -

The city's first organized mural festival - Brush the Block - is taking place this week. Six new 'permanent' murals are being painted around the city, accompanied by food, live music, and festivities. I happened upon a few in-progress, during my walk -

145 Farmers Alley (backside of former Gilmore's Dept. Store) -











128 Portage (Stamped Robin, about to start) -



161 E Michigan (Haymarket Building) -





There are at least 3 other large murals around town, in addition to these. Graphic posters and temporary window art installations are also going up concurrently. These colorful posters are being installed on the walls of the Epic Center -





While I blinked, the apartment conversion at 266 E Michigan was finished, including this new functional addition on the back, along Bates Alley. They really just built it into the roadway (good for them)! It is aptly-named "Coney Island Lofts" - after the long-term ground floor tenant that still operates there -









Somebody crashed into the historic storefront of Main Street East a few weeks ago at 2:30am. Authorities believe alcohol was a factor and they were reaching speeds of 100 mph. Six people in the car; amazingly, nobody died -



The storefronts of Metropolitan Center are mostly vacant these days, apart from the omnipresent Subway and this relatively-new poke bowl place, "Just Fresh" - which seems to be doing business -





The former Newman's (Catholic) Bookshoppe (340 E Michigan Ave) is now home to the Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition -



Progress on the reimagined Burdick's, in the ground floor of the Radisson -









Copper's Dog House appears to have closed, on the mall. This tiny storefront has been a dozen+ food businesses. None seem to last longer than a season -



Horizon Bank moved in to to the old Kalamazoo Savings Bank building at 151 E Michigan Ave -



I like this view of the old V & A Bootery, with the old signage exposed and work ongoing to convert it to the expanded home of the Kalamazoo Candle Co. I like to imagine those two guys are reminiscing about the old days -



It appears that exterior facade restoration work has started on the old First Baptist Church Building, built in the 1850's and now owned by KNAC -









Indeed there are more changes than this downtown; this is just what I happened to notice on my walk. There are still lots of empty storefronts post-covid; the State Theatre remains shuttered, which contributed to the closure of long-time eatery Harvey's on the Mall. Shockingly, a mattress store has opened in the ground floor of Mall Plaza. I give it 2 months, tops. It seems like some other new restaurants and retail might be coming...

The installation of the large perimeter columns has started at the event center, and steel decking is going in on the first-few framed areas. You can begin to make out the form of the main ice sheet / event space -













And here is a peek at the impossibly-large country club (it really is massive, and hard to capture in one shot without drawing attention) -

$87M expansion project begins at Kalamazoo senior living center
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/KHM...rue&quality=90
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...ng-center.html


McDonald’s out, $100M building in: 5 things to know about new downtown Kalamazoo project
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...o-project.html

Kalamazoo wants to transform the ‘spaghetti bowl’ into a vibrant gateway to downtown
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/6BY...rue&quality=90
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...-downtown.html

Re:

The plan document can be seen here:
https://www.kalamazoocity.org/files/...o-downtown.pdf

Still not enough density--we need more mid-rises to really get to the density required to support all that ground level retail. The rendering has a built out quality that will likely never be seen unless tackled all at once. I think we're more likely to see mid rises in the area than complete all these three story villager fantasies. If any place in Kalamazoo can accomplish more, it's here between the colleges and downtown and the new arena.

Replacing PNC Bank with apartments
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/6MT...rue&quality=90
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...n-october.html

PlazaCorp gets $54.6M for 3 Kalamazoo redevelopment projects
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...-projects.html

Hi. It's been a while. I hope everyone out there is keeping their head above the water.

While walking back from lunch yesterday, I observed that the vacant structure at 433 S Rose St was being demolished. This parcel, along with several adjacent ones banked by the city and developer (Hinman), has been the target of redevelopment since as far back as I can recall. Has anyone seen or heard any news about a development moving forward here?

At one point, this modified residence housed a community answering service / call center. For years, there was a sign in the window that advertised free COVID tests. I couldn't find a year built, but based on similar nearby homes, I'd estimate around 1910.

$2M will help fund Bronson employee housing in new 5-story apartment complex
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/NT7...rue&quality=90
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...t-complex.html

^ if it happens, it will be quite an upgrade from this (a spot I drive by regularly)

Kroger proposed west of Kalamazoo raises walkability concerns
https://www.mlive.com/resizer/v2/Q7C...rue&quality=90
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...-concerns.html

Mid-50's, sunny skies, dreams of spring... it all adds up to a long walk around town for some construction updates...

We start with the big one - the event center -

















Nearby, the former McDonalds site is cleared (awaiting county development) -



...and this other long-vacant, mid-century commercial structure has also been wiped away, right near the future arena. No plans yet for the lot (that I'm aware of) -



Nearby, the residential portion of Iron Works appears done and occupied -





Mt. Zion Senior Living / Ecumenical Senior Center (Northside) - 3 separate buildings -









River's Edge apartments -





K-College's new dorm -



...and WMU's new valley dorm -




Overall, there's no denying the growing density in Kalamazoo. The uptick in new housing construction is especially noticeable. There is an energy of change in the air. Lots of construction noise that should only continue, and with it, the promise of new opportunities and new challenges.

Excellent update Deja Vu! It's really nice to see the transformation of Kalamazoo. I really do wonder what the downtown core will look like in the next 5-10 years. Have there been any rumblings of new hotels being proposed because of the Event Center?

Also, a little bit of Battle Creek development news. Yesterday it was announced that the old KMart in Battle Creek will be redeveloped into 80 apartments

Vacant Michigan Kmart site will be redeveloped into 80 apartments in $30.5M project
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...m-project.html

Thanks D-Man! I don't post updates as frequently these days, but that doesn't mean there isn't a ton happening. I appreciate you and a few others keeping up with it! As far as your question, there's the planned conversion of the old courthouse into a new "Boutique" hotel, but I expect we will see lots of other new proposals too in the coming years, as the event center wraps up and opens.

Here's a recent aerial photo of the 4-block area; posted online by the event center. Click here to view the full-res version. You can see some of the vacant lots surrounding this complex, which I expect will fill-in eventually. Westnedge Ave. is reopened (2 lanes) - seen running from top left to bottom center of image. The below-grade utility work is finally done. There is a live construction camera, here -



From the event center website -

By the way, I was driving downtown yesterday and noticed that construction fencing is up around the Arcadia Creek Festival Site. So maybe site clearing will start there soon -




Source: Michael Abels | WWMT

Here's a recent article on the 82-unit Ironworks development -

According to this article, several units are occupied already, while work continues in other portions, with a phased occupancy plan.

Here is a summary of the latest February 2026 BRA packet. Items in red are ones that weren't yet tracking on this forum -

1. The Tradewind Co. / 1003 Ampersee Ave. - recommendation to sell the property to the owner of the adjacent parcel. The purchaser indicates interest in installing small residential cabins (approximately 800 square feet, two-bedroom units) and potentially utilizing the site for beekeeping activities. This is in floodplain and natural features protection overlay area, so any permanent development is iffy (even with the applicant's track record of similar other developments around Michigan).

2. The Trailhead Outdoors / 910 Oneil St. - recommendation to sell the property to a developer for a project called “The Trailhead” Kalamazoo Riverfront Outdoor Retail & Event Hub. The concept includes specialty outdoor equipment retail sales, equipment rentals, product demonstrations, community classes and educational programming, youth-focused activities, and outdoor gathering space oriented toward the Kalamazoo River. The development is contingent on a few things, including acquisition of the adjacent property at 350 Blain St., currently owned by the Kalamazoo County Land Bank.

To see anything built here would frankly be amazing. I have long wished for the city to embrace its connection to the river more wholeheartedly. Maybe this can be a good step towards that reality. There's not a whole lot to go off of, but the sketch implies an outdoor deck / pavilion connected to the building. There is a small bar and retail shop implied -


Source: BRA Packet / TowerPinkster

3. Kalrecovery / 1900 Belford St. - a BRA grant was approved at the last meeting. Development plans now call for a three-story / 36-unit main building, and two 2-story / 6-unit structures -


Source: BRA Packet / TowerPinkster

4. Tiny Homes of H.O.P.E. Phase II / 707 N. Westnedge Ave. - sounds like this one is slowly moving through approvals and purchase agreement steps. This would be kitty-corner to phase 1, on the opposite side of the intersection. A victim of the pandemic and escalating prices, like so many proposals, but not dead.

5. Zone 32 Phase II / 901 Porter, 825 Porter, 810 N Pitcher, 915 N Pitcher, & 314 Parsons - developer is requesting more time due to funding. The proposal has been retooled to account for mixed-income and affordability.

6. 116 W Cedar St. - purchase agreement / title work approved in January, which helps explain why demolition activities were underway last month.

7. Peregrine Peninsula / 111 Portage St. - redevelopment of the upper two floors into 11 apartments (five third floor units, and six second floor units). The building was previously damaged by fire.

8. Bronco Commons / 3625 W Michigan Ave. - this gets a mention in the packet (going through approvals). We were tracking it already, as 3625 W Michigan Ave.. I found a rendering on a random website - no clue if this is accurate at all, because the same site also indicates that it will be 50,965 stories :haha:


Source: Berkadia

Thanks for the updates, and overall very bright picture. Is it too much to hope for something bright, busy and activating on the Water street corner that's been cleared? It's a bit dead all around that massive street-smothering ramp, but once the arena gets built, the foot traffic will be heavier.

If anyone in any forum complains again about gentrification, I will post that pic of Rivers Edge. It such a disappointing development on what could have been a premier river-activating parcel. I'm glad housing got built, but why does the least expensive option have to be so completely bland and lacking scale or impact? Those tiny, sad windows!