Some updates from the past week.
1. The growing public health 'campus' in the Edison neighborhood (at the site of the former Allied Paper Mill), is really evolving. Now there may be an apartment housing component for recovering opioid addicts. Understandably, community reaction is mixed. I snagged two screenshots from the news story - a site plan and a 3D rendering -
Quote:
Proposed Kalamazoo housing project seeks to aid recovering opioid addicts
Michael Krafcik | WWMT Newschannel 3
August 17, 2018
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A West Michigan developer wants to build housing in the Kalamazoo Edison neighborhood to help recovering addicts get back on their feet, but some neighborhood residents are not pleased. Hollander Development Corporation (HDC), based in Portage, proposed to develop a 51-unit permanent supportive housing community for individuals with substance use disorders and referred by Kalamazoo-area treatment courts...
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Source:
WWMT Newschannel 3 | Courtesy Hollander Development Corp.
2. Here is a press release from the city regarding an upcoming award for the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 master plan.
Quote:
Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Wins Daniel Burnham Award from the Michigan Association of Planning
August 17, 2018
The Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Master Plan will be awarded the Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan by the Michigan Association of Planning (MAP/APA Michigan) at its annual conference, Planning Michigan, on September 20 at the Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan is presented annually to plans that advance the art and science of planning. The award is named for Daniel Burnham, one of the nation’s most renowned urban planners...
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3. Davis Street Park, in the Vine Neighborhood, received some upgrades, including a popular new skate park. The funding for this came out of the Foundation for Excellence.
Quote:
New Kalamazoo Skate Plaza Is A Hit
Sehvilla Mann | WMUK
August 16, 2018
A small city park in Kalamazoo is now a destination for skateboarders. This summer, workers poured concrete in a corner of the Davis Street Park in Kalamazoo’s Vine neighborhood. They added sloping sides, benches and a rail. Since it opened, the skate plaza has drawn crowds daily. On a recent evening, Dave Engerer resurfaced a board while a dozen or so people skated nearby. Engerer says the city parks department worked with him and other skaters on the plaza’s design...
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Quote:
Davis Street Park reopens after skate park addition
WWMT Newschannel 3
August 12, 2018
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Skateboarders in Kalamazoo now have a new place to show off their trick, as the newly renovated Davis Street Park held their soft opening on Saturday, Aug. 12. Skaters of all ages were there for the opening ceremony, showing off their skills on halfpipes and grind rails...
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Source:
Twitter | WWMT
4. Not exactly development, but garnering more attention for the Vicksburg Mill redevelopment, an artists' residency has been set up. The art itself is unimpressive so far (to me), but I think the overall idea is great. There's a short video at the link below.
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Artists reinvent ruins of old paper mill in Vicksburg
Rachel Glaser | WWMT Newschannel 3
August 15, 2018
VICKSBURG, Mich. — The old paper mill in Vicksburg is attracting international attention with artists from around the world apply to use the 420,000 -square-foot space into a canvas. Director of Prairie Ronde Artist Residency, John Kern got the inspiration to start the program after driving past the industrial ruins that have become an all too familiar sight in Michigan...
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Source:
Second Wave Media
5. Loy Norrix High School has been undergoing remodeling for a while. Even though they say the design was done with respect for the original SOM building, I'm not a big fan of the new facade.
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Loy Norrix High School gets facelift before start of school year
Kayla Miller | MLive
August 15, 2018
KALAMAZOO, MI -- The exterior of one Kalamazoo high school got a facelift this summer. The walls of Loy Norrix High School were painted a darker blue, replacing the iconic turquoise color, and windows and exterior glass were replaced. The school's transformation was made possible by a $62 million bond passed in 2013...
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Source:
Joel Bissel | MLive
6. Portage is paying a professional fundraising firm $75,000 to raise a targeted $1.5 million for the new senior center.
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Portage hopes to get $1.5M donated to build new $5.5M senior center
August 15, 2018
Brad Devereaux | MLive
PORTAGE, MI -- Portage is moving forward with plans for a new senior/community center, and has approved spending $75,000 for a campaign meant to attract at least $1.5 million in donations to help fund the project. After some discussion on wording of the motion, the council voted unanimously during its Aug. 14 meeting to take action based on a recommendation by Portage City Manager Laurence Shaffer, awarding a $75,000 contract to Hopkins Fundraising Consulting for professional campaign development toward the construction of a new senior/community center facility...
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Source:
MLive | Courtesy - City of Portage