The second phase of proposed rezoning for Kalamazoo's Northside was approved by the City Commission on July 6 and went into effect yesterday. The city is really doubling down on its implementation of live / work zones in several neighborhoods, in an effort to reduce development barriers, especially for local residents & business owners -
I took the dogs for a walk around WMU's campus today and photographed a few things.
The new Student Center & Dining Facility is looking good, framed by landscaping. The exterior appears effectively complete. There is a lot of interior work yet to do -
Behind the new Student Center, you can see the large cleared area where McCracken Hall, Draper Hall, Zimmerman Hall, Davis Hall, and Davis Dining once sat. The reimagined Arcadia / South Neighborhood / Hilltop Village / whatever they're calling it now will be completely unrecognizable from how it looked just a few years ago. There is a giant gap in the middle of campus right now, and French hall is soon to fall too. Fencing is up and abatement is proceeding ahead of the tear-down. Construction jobsite trailers are in place for the next big build - another new dormitory to replace the 60+ year old dorms that are being / already were demo'd this summer -
You can see some of the old trees that will be protected. One of them is a 200+ year-old Burr Oak that predates not only WMU's founding, but Michigan's founding as a State -
Finally, Arcadia Flats, which I haven't seen in-person since it opened, and fully-landscaped -
After yesterday's walk, I took a longer drive today, to take photos & update some less-frequently shared projects. Starting in Kalamazoo -
Ascension Cancer Center - it's bigger than it looks from this angle. Crews were on site so I didn't get too close -
Westgate Commons - also had Sunday work crews, which surprised me -
Demolition of the Edison Environmental Science Academy is in-progress. It's a bit sad to see the 1923 portion come down to make way for the new school structure. A homeless person I spoke to in front of the building told me that this is where she had been sleeping and she weren't sure where to go to now -
The Boys & Girls Club and KPS Transportation garage were also on this site. B&G has a new temporary home and the buses were all moved to the new facility on Ravine Rd -
Bank Street Farmers Market. Not too much to see yet - the road is being realigned for improved parking and better traffic circulation / flow. The existing sheds have been stripped down to their steel structure -
Revel Creek - this is the first time I've ventured to look at it in person. It is tucked far back from the main road on a sloped site and it feels very large -
New Kalsee Credit Union branch, at the corner of Portage and Cork. A building with a lot more character was demolished for this. About the only good thing I can say is that it is close to the intersection, so it feels a little more dense / urban -
The new Modular Aseptic Processing Facility at Pfizer isn't much to look at yet. It's mostly obscured by screened fencing. There's clearly a lot going on though, with plenty of trailers, materials, & earth-moving equipment on site. I also noticed they are clearing a vast area of land on the other side of Portage Rd., right where the old SOM-designed Upjohn HQ building was. I'm assuming this will be for temporary parking, for the hundreds (thousands?) of trade workers that will be involved in the coming months / years.
These are just drive-by shots, I'm a bit warry of getting out and walking too close, due to security. Still kinda nuts to think that this site is just one of a few in the world producing the vaccines that are fighting COVID.
After a quarter century, Kalamazoo's so-called "first" brewpub is closing its doors for good. The number of breweries here has waned recently, with losses including Olde Peninsula, Arcadia, Tibbs, and Boatyard. But the quality of those that remain is still great (Bell's, Final Gravity, Wax Wings, Brite Eyes, Saugatuck, One Well, etc.). Overall, Kalamazoo is still a good destination for beer enthusiasts, and maybe Olde Peninsula's departure will lead to the arrival of a future favorite.
180 E. Water St. aka Catalyst Development aka CD12 has occupancy and the first residents are moving in this week. I think the commercial spaces are still being fitted-out. CSM Group posted these interior pics today -
New restaurant Brick + Brine will open this Fall in the ground floor of the Radisson, on the Kalamazoo Mall. The new restaurant replaces Zazios and includes a new addition -
This is pretty exciting news. Travelers out of AZO might soon be able to fly from Kalamazoo to somewhere other than O'Hare, Detroit Metro, or Minneapolis / St Paul. There is also a pending funding request to lengthen the airport runway by another 1,150 feet, which could result in larger aircraft -
I want to be more excited about this. I'm just not sure about it yet. Granted, it looks all nice & shiny now, but there's really nothing that activates this space, apart from some expensive projector equipment & whatever accompanying art installations might happen. On one side, you have parking garage & utilities, on the other - back doors to leased professional office space. There's nothing to draw people here. It would be nice if there were at least a restaurant or a café or two. I'm not really sure how this can compete with / compliment Bates Alley, The Mall, or even Bronson Park (thinking Food Trucks, live music, adjacent restaurants...). Oh well, if nothing else, at least the framework has been set for something better that what was there before. It can always evolve over time -
Agreed. I thought the Haymarket Plaza would be more exciting, but the article does state it will have more amenities in the future.
The donation to the city is incredible though! Almost $1B ($400M to the city and $550M to WMU) in anonymous donations for a city of this size has to be unheard of.
The donation to the city is incredible though! Almost $1B ($400M to the city and $550M to WMU) in anonymous donations for a city of this size has to be unheard of.
Not to mention the big recent donations to Kalamazoo College and the Arcus Foundation, although those weren't anonymous.
The donation to the city is incredible though! Almost $1B ($400M to the city and $550M to WMU) in anonymous donations for a city of this size has to be unheard of.
I'm guessing that there is some combination of Parfets, Johnsons, Upjohns, and / or Strykers on that donor list. Regardless, this is huge news.
The fact that a city of Kalamazoo's size will now have this self-sustaining fund in addition to The Promise fund is nuts. My hope is that this leads to a lot of visible investments & improvements in infrastructure & the built-environment. But most importantly, I hope we start to see measurable reductions in poverty and crime, which are both way-above average for a city this small.
To-date, the FFE has been used for three things:
Property Tax Savings
Budget Stabilization
Aspirational Projects
The website shares some metrics about how funds have been allocated since the creation of the fund in 2017 (last updated November 2020). It originally started with $70 million in the pot -
1. The Gretch visited the city on Wednesday. Using the recently-completed backdrop of The Creamery, she announced a plan to bring thousands of more affordable housing units to the state. This, during a week where it has been noted that the country as a whole could use at least 4 million additional affordable units. Maybe Kalamazoo will see a few of those.
2. Cairo's Kitchen, an authentic Egyptian Restaurant, opened this week in the ground floor of The Exchange. I heard that they had a sell-out crowd on the first day. Their website & menu: https://cairoskitchen.com/
Portage -
Residents will vote next week on a nearly $175 million bond proposal for Portage Public Schools. The proposal would not raise taxes, and if passed, it would generate funds to build five new elementary schools and remodel another. The proposal will appear on the Aug. 3 ballot and it should easily pass -
Battle Creek-based Waco Aircraft has announced that it will increase production of its antique-style, open cockpit biplanes. Waco recently expanded its factory at the Battle Creek Executive Airport. The increased investments, along with increased demand, means that the company will produce eight airplanes this year and 10 more in 2022 -
This bond passage will fund major improvements in the school district for the next decade. Primarily, the construction of five new elementary schools, and the remodeling of a sixth.
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