KALAMAZOO / PORTAGE / BATTLE CREEK | Development Thread

[deja vu]

Battle Creek (Emmett Township) -

I found some more construction progress photos for the FireKeepers Casino Tower 2 expansion, which is now set to open later this year, after several delays. More at the article link -

FireKeepers eying Tower II completion, return of shows this summer
Nick Buckley | Battle Creek Enquirer
March 22, 2021

Source: Alyssa Keown | The Battle Creek Enquirer

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

The Michigan Strategic Fund just approved community revitalization funding for 400 Rose Phase 2, in the form of a $4.85 million performance-based loan for the $26.2 million project (MSF also approved funds for the 470 Market redevelopment in Grand Rapids and a new, mixed-use building in Middleville). I expect that we will see shovels in the ground quite soon for this now. The 4-story project will add an additional 101 apartments and some ground floor retail. It will look a lot like Phase 1 -

MSF approves support to strengthen Michigan’s talent pipeline, continue economic recovery with business growth, community revitalization projects
Kathleen Achtenberg | MEDC
March 23, 2021

EDIT: haven't seen these renderings yet -


Source: Wood TV 8 | Courtesy MEDC

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by deja vu

Kalamazoo County / Texas Township -

About one year ago, the County began entertaining the notion of purchasing the shuttered Camp Rota-Kiwan in Texas Township. Owned by the Boy Scouts of America, the camp was closed in 2019 with the intent to sell the property to reduce operating expenses. Tuesday, a purchase agreement for $2,000,000 was finalized. The plan is to convert it into a publicly-accessible county park, which shouldn't be hard to do - it already has most of the infrastructure necessary for it to become a county park, including access drives, parking, restroom facilities, and trails. Not sure if they'll keep the name, but this will be the first and only county park on the western half of the county (a goal that was set 10+ years ago)...

And, just like that, we have a new name for the newest County Park - the Arthur E. & Mildred H. Woollam Nature Preserve, named in honor of a donor's parents -

Kalamazoo County finalizes purchase of Camp Rota-Kiwan, plans of new name announced
Will Kriss | WKZO
March 23, 2021

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by deja vu

There was a request on the November 12, 2020 meeting agenda for three zoning variances related to 1211 S. Westnedge Ave. This is currently the site of a derelict Knights Inn that was built in the early 1960's. The LIFT Foundation - a local, non-profit, low-income housing provider, wants to purchase the property and convert it into 60 studio apartments. They plan to keep the existing skeleton of the building and pretty much overhaul all of the materials & finishes, inside & out. I think this is a great idea, and honestly, I'm pretty sure that this Knights Inn is already a long-term home for many of its occupants. The three variances requested included:

1. A request to allow dwelling units on a ground floor level in a commercial zone (CN-1);
2. A request to allow for smaller lot areas per dwelling unit (627 SF Ea. vs. the minimum 1,800 SF required by ordinance); and
3. A request for an off-street parking variance to allow for a total of 38 spaces, where a minimum of 46 would be required. The argument here is that some residents will be elderly and others will be too poor to afford a car, and the property is on the public transit route.

All three variance requests were granted unanimously.

Kalamazoo -

Site plan review drawings have been submitted for the conversion of the Knights Inn into new studio apartments / transitional housing. The project is now named "LodgeHouse" and the design work is by local firm INFORM Architecture, which does a lot of good work in the social equity realm. Homeless residents have already been relocated to this complex ahead of the expansive remodeling that is planned. Visually, this will be a marked improvement along the S. Westnedge corridor, to say nothing of the positive impact of its intended use -






Source: City of Kalamazoo / INFORM Architecture


In a similar vein, the new Women & Children's shelter downtown is cruising along. Construction cam screen grab from today -


Source: Youtube | Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries

[deja vu]

Portage -

Big news - Pfizer will break ground tomorrow on its $465 million, 420,000 SF Modular Aseptic Production building. Construction is set to last through 2023 -

Pfizer will break ground on Portage plant expansion expected to create 450 jobs
March 29, 2021
Kayla Miller | MLive

2018 Conceptual Rendering -


Source: Crain's Detroit Business

[deja vu]

Portage -

Accompanying the news coverage of yesterday's groundbreaking for Pfizer's new Modular Aseptic Processing (MAP) building was this rendering which I haven't seen yet. It is effectively the same footprint as before (420,000 SF), but it bears a significantly different look from the 2018 concept rendering, posted just above. In particular, the curved roof was omitted in favor of a flat one, and the tectonic "piers" were revised from all-glass to mostly brick with small horizontal slits - something that seems to try and hearken back to more of the historic architecture of Building 41 and others on the campus. Overall, that's probably the right move, but a small part of me regrets that we will not get the curved roof -

Pfizer Breaks Ground on One of the World’s Most Technically Advanced Sterile Injectable Pharmaceutical Production Facilities
Heather Baker | First & 42
March 31, 2021

Pfizer breaks ground on new facility in Portage
WZZM 13 ON YOUR SIDE Staff
March 31, 2021

Source: MEDC | Courtesy Pfizer

Many officials on-site, including Mayor Randall (left), Rep. Upton (2nd from left), and Sen. Stabenow (green jacket) -


Source: Twitter | @RepFredUpton


Source: Twitter | @RepFredUpton


Source: Twitter | @RepFredUpton

[deja vu]

Battle Creek -

WMU's $24 million College of Aviation expansion is on track to finish this month. This project grows the school from 16,000 SF to almost 70,000 SF and further solidifies its status as one of the country's leading aviation schools -

WMU College of Aviation prepares to move into new $24 million building
Lexie Petrovic | WWMT News Channel 3
March 28, 2021

Source: WWMT | Lexie Petrovic


Source: OxBlue, March 31, 2021

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

A new site plan is up for review. If it's approved, Kalamazoo will be seeing another small dispensary / growing / processing installation at 617 Portage Street, called "Yuma Way". The good thing about this is that it coincides with the street improvements along Portage, and it breathes new-life into a long-vacant building that is in the pseudo "dead-zone" between Downtown, South Town, and Edison / Washington Square.

617 is part of the former home to Hoekstra Hardware, which closed a few years ago (the same building that triggered a Biggby coffee redevelopment proposal, which I'm 99% sure is dead). I'm not sure what will happen with the other parts of the former Hoekstra's - this proposal only seems to touch one part of it - the left / north ~1/4 of this assemblage.

It might start the ball rolling to "restore" the former Hardware store back into its smaller, historic commercial storefronts that no doubt merged over decades. This row of commercial structures is one of the last holdouts from decades of disinvestment and abandonment. Hopefully down the road we see the other adjoining buildings brought back to life - either as expansion space for Yuma Way, or some other uses - which will help bridge the pedestrian gap between Downtown, South Town, and Edison -












Source: City of Kalamazoo | Driven Design

[deja vu]

Vicksburg -

A few more photos of the ongoing restoration work at The Mill (oh, that wood!) -




Source: The Mill at Vicksburg / Paper City LLC

Kalamazoo -

New skylight installations at Treystar's Monroe Building, which is undergoing restoration downtown -












Source: LinkedIn | Treystar

[deja vu]

Here are a few Portage updates -

1. Woodbridge Hills Expansion -

There are some expansion plans in the works for the already-sprawling Woodbridge Hills development. The new work is concentrated in the commercial village center. There are some planned improvements to the existing commercial storefronts (primarily in the form of expanded outdoor spaces), as well as a proposed outparcel development into several more attached storefronts. Most significantly though, there are plans for a new, 3-story, 48 - 60 unit apartment complex with enclosed parking. The development requires a change of land use, and some locals have expressed concerns about the usual things, including: increased density, building height, building setbacks, emergency access, traffic, storm water management, drainage, and reduced green space -


















Source: City of Portage

2. Portage District Library Remodel & Addition -

The library is closing (for about a month) while it relocates to a temporary location, in anticipation of a remodel and 2-story addition to its current building. It closes Monday, 4/12, and it will reopen at the former State Farm offices, located at 5528 Portage Road, on Monday, May 10. The oldest portion of the library was built in 1976. There was a big renovation & addition in 1996, but nothing much else since then. According to the library website,

Features of our plan for the library building include, but are not limited to:

• Redesigned entrance with accessibility improvements
• Two-floor expansion on the east side of the building
• Additional small meeting rooms and study spaces
• Maker space and Creation Station
• Family bathrooms
• Mother’s Room
• Relocating the Heritage Room to the main level
• Upgrades to existing infrastructure

Try as I might, I cannot find a single drawing or rendering of the new work, apart from this silly diagram (which doesn't show the planned addition on the east / back side) -


Source: PDL

3. Lake Burger Brewpub / Microbrewery -

Lake Burger wants to expand into Portage by opening a new brewpub / microbrewery at 6814 S. Westnedge Ave. Suite F (in a former Biggby Coffee location). This will require a Special Land Use Permit, which seems likely to be approved. More info can be found in the April 15, 2021 Planning Commission Packet.

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

The Farmers' Market on Bank Street will temporarily relocate to Mayors' Riverfront Park in anticipation of the remodel & expansion, which is set to start soon. The City Commission approved bids on Monday for the project, which will include a new restroom-office-storage building, an event shed, a small stage, expanded and renovated vendor sheds, expanded parking, and a new KRVT connection. Construction is expected to start later this month and last about a year. Site plan and rendering that have not been shared here yet -




Source: LinkedIn | City of Kalamazoo

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

Revel Creek construction progress, via screen grabs from a recent video posted by Miller-Davis -












Source: LinkedIn | Miller-Davis Co.

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

The county's new downtown justice facility will break ground next month. On Tuesday, April 6, the County Board of Commissioners voted to approve contracts for construction, the majority of which will be awarded to local contractors (90% of the work). I noticed that the price tag has quietly eeked its way up, from $90 million to $95 million -

Kalamazoo County prepares to break ground on $95M justice facility project
Brad Devereaux | MLive
April 07, 2021

EDIT: I forgot I mentioned this next one previously, but I noticed it through a different source the second time around -

In other funding-approval news, MEDC's MSF (Michigan Strategic Fund) just approved an Economic Assistance Loan in the amount of $4,850,000 and a Brownfield Work Plan including state tax capture in the amount of $1,821,217 for 234 W Cedar St (aka 400 Rose, Phase 2). The total capital investment for this project is north of $26 million. I think with this funding secured, we can expect to see ground broken quite soon on this project too.

(link to MSF Agenda)

[Westernwilly]

Thank you deja vu for all of your updates on developments in this area! I love checking everyday to see what is new and have turned several other people onto your posts here.

I am interested in your opinion of the Woodbridge project. To me, it appears that they are trying to capitalize on the urban apartment trend. However, they are doing so by slapping an urban apartment style building in a suburban strip mall. I believe that they are entirely misunderstanding why people (particularly Millennials and Gen Z) want to live in these types of buildings.

The people that are paying premiums to live in these types of apartments are doing so because they want walkable and bike-able neighborhoods that are not car centric. They want to look out their window and see lively urban life. They do not want to look out the window and see 5 acres asphalt, parking lot!

Will people rent these units? .....Of course they will, but not at the premium rates that they get downtown Kalamazoo.

This whole project reminds me of the way core cities tried to compete with the then new trend of the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. Cities back then were demolishing entire blocks and replacing them with parking lots in an attempt to mimic the car centric, suburban shopping districts. That was not only ill thought out, but it destroyed most urban cores and helped to expediate their demise.

In conclusion, if these developers want to capitalize on the urban living trend and get the premium rents that urban apartments receive, then they should develop downtown! As the urban cores of the 1950s and 60s could never succeed at creating a suburban look in any way that made economical sense, the same goes to trying make a 1980s style suburban development (Woodbridge) dress up as an urban area!

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Westernwilly

Thank you deja vu for all of your updates on developments in this area! I love checking everyday to see what is new and have turned several other people onto your posts here.

I am interested in your opinion of the Woodbridge project. To me, it appears that they are trying to capitalize on the urban apartment trend. However, they are doing so by slapping an urban apartment style building in a suburban strip mall. I believe that they are entirely misunderstanding why people (particularly Millennials and Gen Z) want to live in these types of buildings.

The people that are paying premiums to live in these types of apartments are doing so because they want walkable and bike-able neighborhoods that are not car centric. They want to look out their window and see lively urban life. They do not want to look out the window and see 5 acres asphalt, parking lot!

Will people rent these units? .....Of course they will, but not at the premium rates that they get downtown Kalamazoo.

This whole project reminds me of the way core cities tried to compete with the then new trend of the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. Cities back then were demolishing entire blocks and replacing them with parking lots in an attempt to mimic the car centric, suburban shopping districts. That was not only ill thought out, but it destroyed most urban cores and helped to expediate their demise.

In conclusion, if these developers want to capitalize on the urban living trend and get the premium rents that urban apartments receive, then they should develop downtown! As the urban cores of the 1950s and 60s could never succeed at creating a suburban look in any way that made economical sense, the same goes to trying make a 1980s style suburban development (Woodbridge) dress up as an urban area!

Thanks for the support, and welcome!

I agree 110% with all of your points RE the Woodbridge Hills apartment project. I wish Portage had a real downtown, and not just the civic center that it has today. Thankfully, at least developers are slowly infilling vacant lots in downtown Kalamazoo with denser housing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The below project was also just posted to Kalamazoo's site plan review page. In terms of development style, this one is more akin to Woodbridge Hills than downtown Kalamazoo, but at least it brings some more density to a small commercial center - this project has been in the works for years, at the site of the former Bacchus Wine and Spirits, which closed in 2016 after 45 years in the community (at 3110 Oakland Drive). It's a nice little surprise (to me, at least) to see that it will be developed into more than just another Consumers Credit Union.

There are two, (2)-story buildings proposed. One will house a small CCU branch and a second small lease space on the ground floor, with undefined some space on the second floor (maybe two apartments). If you study the Consumers floor plan, you'll notice that there are zero transaction counters, just two ITMs (Interactive Teller Machines) and two private offices. The other building will provide space for 3 apartments atop 4 additional leasable retail spaces -


















Source: City of Kalamazoo | Bosch Architecture

[jkazoo]

Surprised to see the Oakland Parkview corner finally getting something. But how underwhelming! If I'd won the lottery, I would have proposed a 6-10 story residential bldg. with underground parking (easy on the hillside site), dropped it to five after the NIMBYs complained about the view desecration, and still ended up with 40 new units on a prime walkable corner with views of the lake.

Probably better than nothing, but it is mostly a strip mall with a 2nd story. Some streetwall frontage to look "urban", but the main entry is off the parking lot, of course. Expect troubled pedestrian access by the time they install signage in the sidewalk and backwards bicycle racks.... and 'forget' to shovel the sidewalk. Not enough new residents to propel real change here.

A painfully missed opportunity, but Kalamazoo always seems to aim low, never high. How will 4 new commercial spaces fill when only a half-dozen new residences are added? There are still vacancies in Oakwood Plaza. Sorry to be a downer, I thought this empty lot had the most promise of any in the neighborhoods, and this one is in mine.

[deja vu]

^ Yeah, it is pretty underwhelming. But I can't imagine anything taller than 2, maybe 3 stories getting approved in that neighborhood.

180 E Water St. (aka Catalyst 12) opens in just a few months. CSM just posted a cool comparison shot - two photos, exactly 1 year apart. This thing broke ground on August 9, 2018, which feels like a lifetime ago -




Source: LinkedIn | CSM Group

[deja vu]

Portage -

I read a rumor yesterday that the shuttered West Lake Drive-In has been purchased by a developer that intends to build townhouses there after this summer season is over. In the interim, Food Truck "Rollin Soul" is renting some parking space there. A lot of folks are bummed that this nostalgic place is gone and will not be saved by a new owner. It closed before COVID really took hold. Here are some MLive photos from early 2020 -








Source: MLive | Kendall Warner

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo / Portage -

Work started Tuesday on the I-94 widening & Portage Road interchange rebuild. This will widen the last remaining 4-lane stretch of I-94 in Kalamazoo to 6 lanes (3 in ea. direction), from Lovers Lane to Sprinkle Road (2.7 miles total). It will result in a completely new, single-point urban interchange at Portage Road, which will be very similar to the Westnedge interchange, completed about a decade ago. Four other bridges and one culvert will be rebuilt as well, along with all of the traffic signal upgrades, new signs, freeway lighting, and noise barrier installations that come with a project like this. The project will cost around $87 million and will take about 2 years to complete. The existing Portage Road interchange is a confusing hot mess that evolved over time, and this will definitely make things easier and safer -

Work to widen Kalamazoo’s stretch of I-94 begins Tuesday
Brad Devereaux | MLive
April 08, 2021

Source: MLive | Courtesy MDOT

• Video Link

[deja vu]

Battle Creek -

A massive liquidation sale started yesterday at McCamly Plaza Hotel and will run for a few weeks; a promising sign of the extensive remodel work that lies ahead. Some of the photos with the article reveal just how tired and worn the existing furnishings are -

Take a piece of the McCamly Plaza Hotel home with you during liquidation sale
Elena Durnbaugh | Battle Creek Enquirer
April 07, 2021

...Items for sale include dishes, commercial kitchen equipment, beds, Christmas decorations, even the paneling on the walls. "Everything in this place is being sold," Battle Creek Unlimited President and CEO Joe Sobieralski said. "If we're going to do this as a new hotel, a lot of this stuff needs to be replaced..."

Source: Alyssa Keown | The Battle Creek Enquirer