KALAMAZOO / PORTAGE / BATTLE CREEK | Development Thread

[deja vu]

A few photos of KRESA from a recent group tour (not my own). You can begin to picture how the central commons will come together -




Source: LinkedIn | George Kacan




Source: LinkedIn | CSM Group

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

Inkster Street Bridge progress. While maybe not as unique as it's timber-framed predecessor, it still looks good and will be much more efficient -




Source: Facebook | City of Kalamazoo

[deja vu]

Well, this is mildly interesting. The vacant Hallmark Living building at 3625 W Michigan Ave. might finally be demolished to make way for a 3-story, 223-unit apartment complex. The submitted site plan review documents don't afford much detail architecturally. The entire existing nursing home complex (built in the 1960s) would be demolished, and it looks like the new building would feature a center courtyard with a pool. I assume this will be targeted for students attending adjacent Western Michigan University. The project is simply titled "Kalamazoo Multifamily" and the client is listed as Kalamazoo Realty Holdings, LLC. The architect info appears intentionally left out in the title blocks on the floor plans.










Source: City of Kalamazoo

[DetroitMan]

Two new developments will be coming to Kalamazoo. The first is a new 4-story hotel in the Milwood neighborhood and the second is a 228-unit, income-based apartment complex that will overlook the Kalamazoo River.

Former Kalamazoo restaurant, gas station, could be transformed into 4-story hotel

The city of Kalamazoo wants to help a developer build a four-story hotel in the Milwood neighborhood, just south of I-94.

But before anything can be built at 5135 and 5147 Portage Road, asbestos contamination from Brewster’s restaurant and a former gas station that was on site need to be cleaned up.

Brewster’s closed at the Portage Road location in March 2023, leaving the building vacant. Finding a committed developer for the site has been a challenge due to the added cost of environmental cleanup, said Kalamazoo Sustainable Development Coordinator Jamie McCarthy. That’s why the city is offering financial incentives to companies interested in developing there.

The city sees the project -- cleaning up the site and building a Residence Inn by Marriott there -- as an opportunity to spur economic development in the area and support nearby regional employers like Stryker and the Kalamazoo International Airport, McCarthy said.

The Kalamazoo City Commission approved a brownfield redevelopment plan for the property that will make the $18 million project financially possible, during its Monday, June 17 meeting.

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...ory-hotel.html


New apartments on Kalamazoo River will offer 228 income-based units

The River’s Edge apartment complex proposed by River Caddis Development is planned for 508 Harrison Street and 660 Gull Road, overlooking the Kalamazoo River near Verburg Park. The complex will have a mix of residential and retail space, with studio, single and two-bedroom units.The commission approved a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement for the $43.5 million project during its Monday, June 17 meeting. This allows developers to approach the Michigan State Housing Development Authority for financing, said Kalamazoo Community Development Manager Sharilyn Parsons.

The commission also approved a $420,000 loan from the 2024 Housing Development Fund budget for the development. This funding will close the “gap” between financing from the state, PILOT money and county housing millage money compared to the construction costs, per city documents.

Under the PILOT, River Caddis will pay the city 5% of the revenue generated by rent each year for 45 years, instead of paying normal property taxes. While this reduces the state and local tax burden on developers by $455,353 per year, it’s estimated the city would only lose $97,635 per year, according to city documents.

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo...sed-units.html

[deja vu]

The River's Edge development seems to have been trapped in development limbo for at least 4 years. It will be a mixture of relief & surprise, if / when dirt actually starts moving. Good to see that the unit count has not substantially changed (in fact, it has gone up a bit since 2020). Currently, the vacant site is home to a small encampment of unhoused persons.

As for the proposed Residence Inn, it's pretty "meh" news. But... an income-generating hotel is better than an empty restaurant. The only other immediate hotel options adjacent to the airport currently are the Hampton Inn and the Days Inn (which recently suffered a partial fire).

In other news, I saw this article yesterday, with some info about the design for the new Woodland Elementary, in Portage. Paywalled, but you get the picture -

Elementary school in Portage will be redesigned with ‘enchanted forest’ theme
Aya Miller | MLive
June 18, 2024

Also, the City of Kalamazoo has more than $100 million-worth of funding going right now for roadwork projects (and trying to drive around town, it shows). WMUK did a story about it recently -

Why is there so much construction in Kalamazoo?
Melissa Dancy | WMUK
June 18, 2024

Lastly, here's some great, recent drone shots of downtown Kalamazoo, taken by Bill Dolak -






Source: Facebook | Bill Dolak

[deja vu]

The event center site. They are beginning to tear up the roads for utility work. These four blocks will start to look very different, very soon. Kalamazoo Ave. utility / roadwork on the left -


Source: Facebook | Bill Dolak

[deja vu]

On the heels of news about a proposed new Residence Inn near I-94, news now that the existing Residence Inn at the corner of Portage and Kilgore Rds. will reportedly be converted into permanent housing. I have some nostalgia for the older, "cottage-style" hotels with multiple detached buildings, but it is a fading concept. The new hotel will have a much more generic tone. But it is a logical conversion proposal for 80+ units of badly needed housing -

83-room hotel will be converted into apartments in Kalamazoo
Brad Devereaux | MLive
June 21, 2024