KALAMAZOO / PORTAGE / BATTLE CREEK | Development Thread

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by jkazoo

I'm hoping there's some lighting to make this come alive at night. The fins are bound to be 'controversial', like anything other than glass, stone, or brick would be. Sigh.



(Crossing fingers that the image is viewable.)

The original wasn't visible for me, but if you go in and edit the end of the file extension for the photo, it should work. I just did it in the quoted message. Delete the "dl=0" and replace it with "raw=1".

Only reason I know this is because I recently switched to hosting my images on Dropbox. Thanks for the photo, and agreed!

[deja vu]

^ Upon further thought, I was thinking that those fins on the WMU student center would be more like a continuous scrim, and less like singular, bolted-on appendages. I love the concept, not super-crazy about the execution though...

I was thinking I'd go to the top of the Radisson parking ramp to get a photo of the site work for the downtown justice facility. CSM saved me the trip, with this much-more-effective aerial view. It's still just a big sandbox right now, but you can see the deeper excavations on the north (along Kalamazoo Ave.) where they will soon begin concrete formwork -


Source: LinkedIn | CSM Group

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

The proposed Phase 2 Natural Features Protection (NFP) plan (with amendments) is available for review at this link. There are meetings scheduled in May and June for public feedback. Green = Phase 1 / the current overlay. Pink = Phase 2 / proposed overlay (a significant expansion).


Source: Instagram | kalamazoocity

[deja vu]

Some new projects have been popping up on the city's Site Plan Review site. Most are small, related to the marijuana industry in some way or another. Not too exciting.

But I was excited to see an application appear yesterday for 266 E Michigan Ave. This is the historic building that houses Coney Island on the ground floor and which also formerly housed Ouzo's on the ground floor. The top three floors have been vacant for... a very long time. It looks like they are actually trying to move forward with converting these floors into apartment units. A big hurdle has been providing the necessary elevator and a second egress stair. This application seeks to rectify that with an addition on the back, along Bates Alley. I don't really understand how they are pulling it off, but needless to say, they must have support from the city to be able to encroach that close to the alleyway. Bringing this property up to code with a new elevator & stairway has been the dealbreaker for years. City planning has wanted to get residents in the upper floors of these downtown buildings forever, so they must have worked something out -






Source: City of Kalamazoo

[deja vu]

Tis' the season for ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings...

The new 106-room Home2 Suites officially opened yesterday -

Home2 Suites by Hilton opens in downtown Kalamazoo
Samantha May | WWMT News Channel 3
May 28th 2021

Source: MLive

The Catalyst 12 project feels like it is moments away from its grand opening too. Fencing is down and concrete sidewalks are being poured. This is a classy-looking building -


Source: LinkedIn | CSM Group




Source: LinkedIn | Matthew Higgenbotham (CSM Group)

With those two projects wrapping up, the biggest Kalamazoo project on the radar (with the exception of the GPI industrial expansion) is the new downtown justice facility, which officially broke ground on Wednesday, June 26 -


Source: LinkedIn | CSM Group

Smaller, but also of mention...

Custer, Inc. is just about ready to move into its new showroom on the top (15tth) floor of The Exchange building. The leased space includes ample outdoor patio area (this top floor was originally designed to house a restaurant) -






Source: LinkedIn | Custer, Inc.

And "Camp Bronson" - a fun, newly renovated playroom at Bronson Children's Hospital, is officially open -








Source: LinkedIn | Bronson Healthcare

[deja vu]

Vicksburg -

Here's an article update on the 420,000 SF, $85+ million redevelopment project known as The Mill at Vicksburg. Much of the abatement and masonry restoration work is now complete. Construction is anticipated to wrap up in 2025 as of now, with a public opening sometime in 2026. This project is a massive exercise in patience and persistence -

Yearslong project aims to make old Vicksburg mill into Midwest destination
Kyle Mitchell | Wood TV 8
May 21, 2021

Source: Wood TV 8

[deja vu]

Portage -

While by no means a tall building, the new Portage Community Senior Center celebrated a Topping Off Ceremony on Thursday -






Source: LinkedIn | Byce & Associates, Inc.

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

WMU makin' a little bit of history today with an announcement of the largest private gift ever to a public university (more than half a billion dollars) -

This Michigan school just landed a record gift for a public university: $550 million
Nick Anderson | The Washington Post
June 8, 2021

...The funding, to be delivered to the university’s foundation over 10 years, will flow in three main streams: $300 million for Western Michigan’s Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine; $200 million for need-based financial aid, faculty hiring and other university initiatives; and $50 million for the school’s Bronco athletic programs...

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

One month of progress at the downtown justice facility site. A 13 ft. deep hole has been excavated in preparation for Nicholson Construction to drill 261 auger cast piles -


Source: LinkedIn | CSM Group

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

Revel Creek updates, as shared by Miller-Davis -








Source: LinkedIn | Miller-Davis Company

[deja vu]

Here's a short news blip about the new apartments planned for the top three floors of 266 E Michigan Ave. It'll be exciting to see these long-vacant floors brought back online as livable units -

Renovations adding apartments to historic downtown Kzoo building
Madalyn Buursma | Wood TV 8
Jun 15, 2021

[uaarkson]

Kalamazoo is BUSTIN. It might be undergoing the heaviest development boom in the state relative to its size.

[deja vu]

No Kidding! That would be interesting, to see an analysis of investment dollars per capita, for various geographical regions across the state.

Here's another small but important piece of the puzzle in ongoing community improvements. The Bank Street Farmers Market expansion is well underway now. In this aerial view, you can see the realigned Bank Street, which will allow for more space for parking, better traffic flow, and more vendor booths -


Source: LinkedIn | City of Kalamazoo

[deja vu]

One by one, Kalamazoo's downtown surface lots are slowly disappearing...

Perimeter fencing is up, the jobsite trailer is placed, and some site work has begun for Phase 2 of 400 Rose -









Catalyst 12, very close to complete -



Auger work at the Justice Facility site -





Right next door, Home2 Suites - Done!



I noticed the Federal Building is getting a new roof -



And the Gospel Mission addition -

[deja vu]

Sad news this morning that 20 Mills Street has burned to a crisp. I had hopes this old complex could one day be restored. If this isn't arson (or a homeless person's cooking / warming fire gone wrong), I'll eat my slippers.

Fire at abandoned commercial building an ‘inferno,’ Kalamazoo firefighters say
John Agar | MLive
June 21, 2021

In - different news, dinosaurs have descended on Kalamazoo, at WMU's new Dinosaur Park -

Brontosaurus will take Western's dinosaur park to new heights
Erin Flynn | WMU
June 2, 2021

Dinosaurs "Rampage" At WMU
Dan Nichols | WMUK
June 14, 2021

Source: WMU

The new educational park is located next to Rood Hall -


Source: WMU

[deja vu]

Oshtemo Township -

Advia CU HQ progress. It will have capacity for 460 employees when finished.

• Video Link


















Source: LinkedIn | Byce & Associates, Inc.

[deja vu]

Battle Creek -

Bronson Healthcare and (TN-based) Acadia Healthcare Company announced a joint venture this past Wednesday to construct a new, $35 million behavioral health facility on the southern edge of Battle Creek. The hospital will offer 96 inpatient beds at Glenn Cross Road and M-66 (South of I-94). Groundbreaking is planned for this fall, with an opening in 2023.

Bronson Healthcare to build new mental health hospital in Battle Creek
Rachel Van Gilder | Wood TV 8
June 30, 2021

Source: Wood TV 8 | Courtesy Rendering

[deja vu]

Portage -

June 2021 update on the Charles & Lynn Zhang Portage Community Senior Center, courtesy Bryce & Associates, Inc. -

• Video Link

[deja vu]

Portage -

Midwest fastener has announced a ~ $11 million expansion that will add about 90 jobs to its Portage HQ and Decatur (MI) distribution center. The project team includes Wightman, Balkema Construction, and Glas Associates.

Midwest Fastener to create 90 jobs with expansions
Rachel Van Gilder | Wood TV 8
June 15, 2021

Source: LinkedIn | Wightman

[deja vu]

After yesterday's rain, today was a nice and cool and breezy day for a walk downtown.

400 Rose / Phase 2 is still very much just a hole in the ground. But expect foundation work to start any day now -





The justice facility is also a hole, but there are concrete pours happening for the structural piles -



And with all the news lately about concrete spalling, I found it timely that there are structural repairs happening on the upper three levels of the Radisson parking deck. I think this garage was built in the 70's - 80's - and it shows. You can see the original post-tensioning cables / sleeves in the close-up views -