KALAMAZOO / PORTAGE / BATTLE CREEK | Development Thread
This thread is for developments in the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek-Portage area. It will primarily focus on larger projects within these three principal cities, including both buildings and major infrastructure work. But smaller developments within these cities and nearby (within Kalamazoo & Calhoun Counties) may also be included.
(organization of Michigan development threads) The 2020 US Census Data puts the CSA population estimate for the region at about 502,000, making it the fourth largest CSA in Michigan (after Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing) and ranking it among the 100 largest CSA's in the country. The municipalities highlighted below are organized by population and are arranged from largest to smallest (2020 US CB Data unless noted otherwise). Note that this thread coverage doesn't quite align with the CSA definition. For other developments in West Michigan, refer to this thread. Code:
Kalamazoo - Kalamazoo County |
Project Rundown
Unless noted otherwise, all projects for each location are arranged first by status, then by cost, if known (most to least expensive).
Status Order:
Kalamazoo Code:
WMU "Hilltop Village", multi-phase, under construction (~ $500+ million) Code:
Double Tree by Hilton, under construction (~ $60 million) Code:
Pfizer Modular Aseptic Production building (MAP), under construction ($465 million) Code:
WMU BTR Park Phase 2 Expansion, ongoing ($100+ million) Code:
Kalamazoo Central HS Exterior Renovations, under construction ($4 million) Code:
Authentix Kalamazoo, under construction (~ $50 million?) Code:
RCKC New Facility, completed March 2024 ($65 million) Code:
FireKeepers Casino Expansion, completed August 2021 (~ $30+ million) Code:
Gull Lake Community Schools 2018 Bond Projects, completed spring 2022 ($65 million) Code:
Abbey42, under construction ($65 million) Code:
South Kitchen, completed November 2020 (~ $1 million?) Code:
The Mill at Vicksburg, under construction ($85 million) Code:
KRVT Expansion (Campaign Connnect), proposed ($1 million) |
Nice rundown.
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Thanks. I will keep expanding it, and hopefully get out and take some photos of my own once the deep freeze ends.
Here's an interesting little project that just wrapped up downtown: Quote:
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2017_03_15 Walking Tour
I took a brief walk after work today to try and capture some recent development. Because it was so bitterly cold, it quickly turned into more of a driving tour than a walking tour. Anyway, below are some random photos of current projects under construction in Kalamazoo and Portage, along with a few recently-completed projects. While walking and driving, I saw several projects that I forgot to include in the original project rundown, so I will be updating that shortly.
Please forgive the low image quality; I took these photos on my crappy iPhone 4, and it was getting near dusk, and I was in motion for most of them. But, enough excuses! The Foundry 600 E. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo (Phase 1, Under Construction) https://s71vpq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://tr0fea.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none The People's Food Co-op of Kalamazoo 507 Harrison St, Kalamazoo (Opened 2011) https://tb0fea.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Old Douglass Community Center Building NW corner of N. Pitcher and E. Ransom Streets, Kalamazoo Not development, but hopefully being restored and repurposed soon. https://s72emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Here's the same structure, in the 1960s: https://sr1vpq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Image Source: http://www.migenweb.org/kalamazoo/views.htm Ministry with Community 440 N. Church St. (Completed 2016) https://q70fea.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://tl2emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none This wonderful old Art Deco structure is right next door to the mothballed Old Douglass Community Center Building, and across the street from the new Ministry with Community. https://sb1vpq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none New RX Optical Headquarters S. Park St, Kalamazoo (Under Construction) https://rl0fea.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://sb2emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://sr2emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none New Family Health Center Alcott St. - Edison Neighborhood, Kalamazoo (Under Construction) https://t72emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://tb2emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Portage Memory Care Living Facility 710 E. Centre Ave, Portage (Under Construction) https://ul2emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://tr2emw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none |
Kalamazoo is perhaps just a tad more exciting than Battle Creek. But looking at those pics--typical Michigan.
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Updates have been made to the list of active projects at the top of this thread. Updates include:
New project listing & information for:
Additionally, all photos have been resized for consistency, and several more photos of active projects have been added. |
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There is some bland infill around here, to be sure, but on the whole, it is exciting to see Kalamazoo's downtown slowly becoming denser, while lots of fringe areas (including several brownfield sites) are seeing renewed efforts at revitalization. |
Updated Project Rundown
I've updated the project rundown to include some more recently completed development. Because this forum is less than one week old, it wasn't around to capture all of these great projects when they were being built. That said, since they are part of the bigger story of development that has been happening here in recent years, I'm including them here for the record.
Completed projects that have been added are as listed below. Scroll to the top post to see images and more info for each. Much more to come.
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Article about a recent tax break that Stryker received.
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Jack White bought George Nelson’s Kalamazoo midcentury time capsule
Not exactly development-related news, but still an interesting story related to architecture. Kalamazoo has a lot of prominent examples of mid-century architecture, including an atypically large amount of Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes. However, I did not know about the George Nelson-designed Kirkpatrick House until I saw this article. At one time, George Nelson was the Director of Design for the Herman Miller furniture company. His studio had a heavy influence on furniture design during the 20th century.
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https://ty9ppq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://siqqsq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://r4qqsq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://ui9ppq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Images Source: Curbed |
Kalamazoo Gazette Building - Demolition Progress Update
On a work break this morning, I walked around the site of the ongoing demolition of the former Kalamazoo Gazette building. Lots of activity, and demolition has progressed to the final portion of building to be removed. Ironically, this final area that is being demolished is actually the newest addition to the complex, having opened in 2004. The original building was designed by Albert Kahn and completed in 1925, with two other additions built in 1941 and 1968. Only the 1925 and 1941 portions will remain to be repurposed by Bronson Healthcare Group, as its downtown footprint expands.
All photos below are my own. View from S. Burdick St: https://t4pfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none View from John St: https://r48gmw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none View from John St: https://vipfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none That tower is not long for this world: https://si8gmw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none View from NE Corner of E Lovell St. and Henrietta St: https://uipfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Close-up of Upper Ceiling: https://topfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Close-up of tower: https://u4pfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none View from NW Corner of E Lovell St. and Henrietta St: https://typfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none |
Kalamazoo Gazette Building - Clock Demolition Photos
Related to the previous post, I found some neat photos which show the process of removing the large clocks that were previously attached to the tower. Photo credit goes to Carly Geraci, at MLive. You can view more of photos, and read the accompanying article, here.
https://t49wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://r4pfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://uy9wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://u49wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://ty9wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://ui9wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://to9wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://sipfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://uopfjg.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://vi9wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none |
WMU East Campus pulled from National Register of Historic Places
WMU East Campus pulled from National Register of Historic Places
An interesting article was just released regarding the recent demolition (decimation?) that took place on Prospect Hill, the home of the original campus of Western Michigan University. Originally known as the Western State Normal School. In 2013 - 2014, three historic buildings were demolished (North Hall, West Hall, and the Speech & Hearing Building) and another was greatly altered (East Hall) to prepare for the creation of a new Alumni Center, which opened in 2015 in the remains of East Hall, and which is now referred to as Heritage Hall. Quote:
Images below are courtesy of WMU Archives and Regional History Collection, via MLive, unless noted otherwise. The article follows after the images. East Hall, shortly after it opened in 1905: https://si9wha.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none East Hall, after the north and south wings were added, in 1908 and 1909: https://r4p7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none The WMU Inclined Trolley, to access Prospect Hill from below (I had no idea until now that Kalamazoo had its own incline of sorts, at one time): https://uyp7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Two aerial views of Prospect Hill, showing the early WMU campus: https://u4p7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://top7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none A similar aerial view from the recent past, when demolition was complete. The partially-demolished East Hall stands alone in the middle of the cleared area: https://sip7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Image Source: Google Maps WMU West Hall Demolition, June 2013: https://uop7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Image Source: Mark Bugnaski / Kalamazoo Gazette, file WMU Speech and Hearing Building Demolition, July 2013: https://vip7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Image Source: Mark Bugnaski / Kalamazoo Gazette, file WMU East Hall Demolition of South Wing, July 2014: https://t4p7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none https://uip7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Image Source: Mark Bugnaski / Kalamazoo Gazette, file Protester's graffiti at the construction site, in September 2014: https://typ7dw.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Image Source: Mark Bugnaski / Kalamazoo Gazette, file Heritage Hall Alumni Center / Former East Hall as it looks today: https://si9ppq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none Image Source: Tower Pinkster Read the Full Article, and see some pretty great historic photos, here. |
Why on earth would they do that?!
Fucking idiots, WMU can go to hell. :hell: |
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It's fortunate that Kalamazoo has an active historic commission, and from what I know, a pretty good track record at repurposing and preserving historic structures. It's just too bad that this one got away. The original campus really projected the 'city on a hill' aesthetic that so many universities embodied. That cohesive massing of buildings around a central quad is now mainly a parking lot. At least one small part of it remains. |
$2M PlazaCorp redevelopment to create 30 jobs in downtown Kalamazoo
$2M PlazaCorp redevelopment to create 30 jobs in downtown Kalamazoo
By Malachi Barrett, via MLive March 23, 2017 Quote:
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Kalamazoo County Population Data for 2016
According to the recently released US Census Data for county-wide population changes between 2010 and 2016, Kalamazoo County faired well. The population increased from 250,331 in 2010 to 261,654 in 2016 - a gain of about 11,323 persons, or about 4.3% growth since 2010. This puts Kalamazoo in with the 35 of 83 Michigan counties that are going against the statewide trend of population decline. It's great news for the area, and a strong indicator of the healthy economy in southwest Michigan.
https://topmbq-sn3301.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none Image Source: MLive Another interesting thing that I observed, looking at the above graph portrayal of population change since 1900, Kalamazoo County has not once experienced a decline in population at the county level, for each decade when Census data was recorded. To put it another way, the growth in the county has trended positively for at least the past 116 years of US census data recording. At a glance, I count only four other counties in the entire State that can make this claim.
You can see the charts and data for each county at this MLive article: How every Michigan county's population has changed over the past 100 years |
New assistant city manager to focus on Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence
It's not every day that the City of Kalamazoo creates a new administrative position in the planning department.
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Oberon Day 2017!
Happy Oberon Day!
For those who don't know, today is basically an official holiday in Kalamazoo, marking the release of the 2017 batch of Bell's most popular craft beer - Oberon (as well as the less-official start of spring around here). Tapping parties began at midnight around the city, state, and even other parts of the country / globe. The tapping at Bell's Eccentric Café, the center of the Bell's universe, was a few minutes ago, at 9:00AM, EST (which is where many of my less responsible but certainly happier coworkers are right now). If you're wondering how this is at all development related, Bell's has invested tens of millions of dollars into both its downtown location and its main brewing facilities in nearby Comstock in recent years, and has basically had everything to do with catalyzing the craft beer movement in this region. To compliment your Oberon, you can always stop by Sweetwater's Donut Mill, open 24/7, and grab an Oberon-Inspired donut. They frankly look gross to me, but I've never tried one, so I shouldn't judge. https://si8sdq-sn3301.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none Source: MLive https://t493ma-sn3301.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none Image: Oberon Donuts, at Sweetwaters Donut Mill Source: John Gonzalez, via Twitter |
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