Kalamazoo -
My first thought when I read this was, "
only $22 million?" But all of this is just mobility-related. They are mostly counting savings from improved safety enhancements, that will reduce potential accidents. Interesting to see the projected negative effect of $5.5 million, due to anticipated longer commute times. What is not tracked, and obviously more nuanced, is the financial benefits that might be gained at the street level, as more people actually want to spend time on the sidewalks, eating at restaurants, drinking coffee at cafes, etc. without fear of an 18-wheeler barreling right through them -
Some park news -
In Kalamazoo, a new playground was recently installed at Milham Park. The old facilities were pretty tired & worn-down -
Source:
LinkedIn | Chris Praedel
Nearby in Portage, there is a multi-phase plan to enhance popular
Lakeview Park, with things like a small amphitheater, an expanded boardwalk, new restroom facilities, waterfront swings, a linear fountain, rental kiosks, sculptures, a sledding hill, roof deck, and more. I really like this park, and while it is a long drive from where we live now, we used to frequent it when we lived in south Portage. The goal is to develop the park to help anchor the small local business district in this area -
Source:
MLive | City of Portage
In other news, the former Burdick Hair & Beauty Supply at
112 E Cork St. is no-more. This business suffered a fire a few years that partially damaged it. Then it was partially rebuilt. But now it is completely demolished. Frankly, this building was an eyesore long before the fire, and the best thing about it was the BBQ business parked in front of it (they are still in business at another location now). I read that the adjacent Kalamazoo Animal Hospital has plans to built an expansion here -
Source:
Facebook | John Johnson