KALAMAZOO / PORTAGE / BATTLE CREEK | Development Thread

[shivtim]

Originally Posted by BrewInKzoo

https://wwmt.com/news/local/hard-roc...G9_pxK52mm-sUU

Hard Rock Hotels are redeveloping the Gibson guitar factory!

That is great news, but I'm not sure I understand it. The building is in an industrial area and next to relatively low-income single family housing. It's not really connected to downtown or WMU, from street view it looks like the walk to the nearest things (Bells/Shakespeares/etc) is more than half a mile and doesn't even have sidewalks in some places. Anyone have insight for how this would work, or how it would be successful? Typically Hard Rock concept hotels are either right in the heart of a city or tourist district, or next to a major sporting venue. The first Reverb hotel is in Atlanta literally across the street from Mercedes Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by BrewInKzoo

https://wwmt.com/news/local/hard-roc...G9_pxK52mm-sUU

Hard Rock Hotels are redeveloping the gibson guitar factory!

Wow. That is huge news, and I must say a bit surprising! I knew there were plans in the works for a Gibson museum, but never anticipated anything remotely like this. As to the location, I kinda have the same thoughts. It would surely take some work to figure out how better to connect it to downtown. While I could see this spurring some more developments to bridge the gap, I'm not sure how the local residents will feel about it being in their backyard.

Fingers crossed. I can't wait for some renderings / drawings.

[BrewInKzoo]

Originally Posted by deja vu

Wow. That is huge news, and I must say a bit surprising! I knew there were plans in the works for a Gibson museum, but never anticipated anything remotely like this. As to the location, I kinda have the same thoughts. It would surely take some work to figure out how better to connect it to downtown. While I could see this spurring some more developments to bridge the gap, I'm not sure how the local residents will feel about it being in their backyard.

Fingers crossed. I can't wait for some renderings / drawings.

Like yourself and the other poster, I'm concerned about the area as well. I can only assume the developers have been given assurances about upcoming development or revitalization coming to the area. I would hesitate to invest without those guarantees...

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by BrewInKzoo

Like yourself and the other poster, I'm concerned about the area as well. I can only assume the developers have been given assurances about upcoming development or revitalization coming to the area. I would hesitate to invest without those guarantees...

Wait, there's a rendering now! Was it up there before and I just missed seeing it, or did it get added to the news story?


Source: WWMT | Contributed

Repurposed, original factory in the right foreground, and what's clearly a large, 4-5 story hotel addition in the background, in a similar factory industrial style. I love seeing the old stack featured so prominently. There was a big push in the community to save that.

No doubt there is an intentional push by the city and Northside stakeholders to grow development in the neighborhood. But the focus has mainly been on creating / re-establishing commercial corridors along N. Westnedge Ave., North St., and N. Burdick St. And the focus has also been on local, resident-owned businesses. There's some good info in the neighborhood plan about this -

Northside Neighborhood Plan

I wonder if the Northside Association for Community Development (NACD) or the recently-established Northside Cultural Business District Authority (NCBDA) would be involved in these development discussions. I think it would be a big mistake not to try and proactively involve them, and through them, the residents. Otherwise, they will risk alienating an entire neighborhood that has been alienated many times already by local officials over the decades.

[jkazoo]

I'm glad someone is dreaming big. But, as you all have alluded to— is the zoning and land use permitted here going to allow a hotel? Does the neighborhood even want this scale? I'm impressed that someone can imagine this is going to be a success, but I wonder if they've ever been here? I'm a booster, but the disconnection to the rest of the attractions downtown for any visitor seems like stretch that will be hard to overcome. Building a hotel halfway between Gibson and Bell's (the only other real draw) seems like a more feasible step.

But maybe this is the future: Tourism will relocate to the climate-proof Midwest, and travelers will want unique destinations?

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

The canopy on the lower entry (south side of the building) of WMU's new Student Center and Dining Facility is taking shape. This isn't visible form the construction camera location -


Source: Instagram | wmubuild


Source: WMU

Portage -

The city's new fire station No. 2 is complete and looks great (though I'm not informed enough to know what that ugly balcony is for - draining & drying hoses? cleaning the tops of fire trucks? practice / drills? Fire lookout?)


Source: LinkedIn | AVB

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

I heard on the radio this morning that the Kalamazoo County Downtown Justice Facility project is currently out for public bids (and verified here). We should hopefully know soon if the bids come in high, low, or right on target (the budget is $90 million). Assuming that process goes smoothly, we could maybe start to see some site activity in the next 1 - 2 months.

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

I found some current construction photos of the Graphic Packaging International expansion. The aerial views really convey the sheer size of it all. The $600 million project includes 350,000 SF of new space across four buildings. It is expected to be complete in October of this year -






Source: LinkedIn | The Wieland Corporation


And steel continues to rise at the Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries' new Women's and Children's Shelter -




Source: LinkedIn | AVB

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

The apartment development formerly referred to as 615 Holdings is under construction and now has a name - Westgate Commons. A reminder that this is two identical 3-story buildings with 9 apartment units each and ground floor retail space, being constructed in the historic Stuart Neighborhood at 615 W Kalamazoo Ave. There's not too much to see yet, but they will go up fast - occupancy is expected by fall of this year. The site used to have a car repair shop that closed in 2006.

Mixed-use is not common in this residential neighborhood, which is mostly comprised of detached houses. The developer mentions in this article they are hoping for a coffee shop, an insurance agency, a chiropractor, and / or attorneys offices, for example (but not a full-fledged restaurant).

Apartment and commercial development hopes to open by fall in Kalamazoo's Stuart Neighborhood
Al Jones | Second Wave Media
March 4, 2021

2020 Rendering -


Source: GRBJ

Construction progress -










Source: Second Wave Media | Al Jones

[deja vu]

Battle Creek -

Demolition work on the former Kmart that closed in January 2018 began yesterday. BCU purchased the vacant building in February 2020 with the aim to stop blight. There are no plans at the moment for developing the land. The empty building sits in the shadow of downtown - it would be nice if the density from downtown eventually crept across the train tracks and the north branch of the river to this site - there will be nothing left but pavement and a gas station on these two "super-blocks" -

Demolition begins on former Kmart in Battle Creek
Missy Broderick | WWMT News Channel 3
March 8th 2021

Kalamazoo -

The Eastside Neighborhood zoning updates were approved by the City Commission on February 15 and took effect February 25. Hopefully we will see some more new developments coming to this neighborhood in the near future with the help of these zoning changes -

Eastside Zoning Code Update
Eastside Zoning Code Updates were approved by the Kalamazoo City Commission on Monday, February 15 and will go into effect on Thursday, February 25 2021.
City of Kalamazoo

The 24/7 daycare in The Creamery is now open. For some reason, I thought this opening wasn't happening for a while, but nope - apparently it is completed and open. The daycare is operated through a partnership with the YWCA, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, and Southwest Child Care resource. It opens up opportunities for working families in the area who need childcare support, especially during night shifts -

Kalamazoo opens first 24-hour child care center in Edison neighborhood
Hannah Knowles | WWMT Newschannel 3
March 8th 2021

[deja vu]

Happy 4-year anniversary to this thread! We've come a long way in such a short time. Thanks as always to those who've contributed, and to those who've just followed-along silently. Your readership & contributions are always appreciated.

Comstock Township -

If you have $1.44 million handy, you could become the owner of the abandoned Morrow Generating Station on Morrow Lake, which is currently listed for sale -










Source: WKFR / Loren Souers | Kalamazoo Commercial Real Estate

[deja vu]

Oshtemo Township -

The District No. 10 School House is suddenly at risk of demolition. The structure was built in 1870, with an addition in 1920. The current owner is struggling to reach an agreement with the township regarding his business plans with the property and is threatening to sell it to Dollar General, which apparently has expressed interest in the property, if a compromise can't be made. It seems like a big part of the dispute is that the Township won't permit him to park his large tree-trimming trucks on the property. The school house, located southwest of Kalamazoo near Stadium Dr. and 9th St. has largely withstood the tests of time as the area surrounding it suburbanized. It would be a shame to see this beauty go. There was some talk at one point of converting it into apartments -

Future Of Historic Oshtemo Schoolhouse In Doubt
Sehvilla Mann
March 11, 2021

The District No. 10 School House, as seen in 2017 -


Source: WMUK | Sehvilla Mann

[deja vu]

Battle Creek -

Another historic building that sadly could be at risk of demolition is Battle Creek's Kingman Museum (at the moment, I'd rank its chance of survival slightly higher than the aforementioned Oshtemo School House). The museum has been temporarily closed for months now, and in December it moved its entire collection in December from its location at 175 Limit St. to an undisclosed location. The historic structure requires substantial repairs and the museum - which does not own the building and operates on a limited budget - cannot afford the expense. While they look for a new home for their exhibits, the building sits empty -

Seeking a new home: Kingman Museum searches for a new location for its collection
Jane Simons | Second Wave Media
February 25, 2021

Source: Battle Creek Enquirer


The Milton recently shared some stunning before & after photos of its restoration. The work is effectively complete, but they are still hoping for some commercial tenants to fill the main concourse areas -














Source: Instagram | @michigan business


I've been reformatting the project rundown and noticed I never followed up on the new ~ $16 million, ~ 50,000 SF Battle Creek Police Station. It was built across the street from the former, 49-year-old facility, at 20 N Division St. The new building was designed to be able to house community functions. The old building was demolished and cleared for parking. Anyway, super-belated, but it was finished in August 2018 -

An inside look at the new Battle Creek Police Department
Brittany Gray | WWMT Newschannel 3
August 8th 2018

Source: Schweitzer, Inc.


Lastly, a local aluminum fabricator (1401 Shiga Dr.) is planning to expand operations with a 70,000 SF, $7.8 million addition -

Bowers Aluminum planning $7.8 million expansion in Battle Creek
Nick Buckley | Battle Creek Enquirer
March 12, 2021

Source: Bowers Aluminum Co.

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

I knew this was only a matter of time. The city is officially soliciting RFQ's for their lot at 140 S. Edwards St. with the help of MEDC's Redevelopment Services. The city has identified this site as their #1 priority for redevelopment now, which is encouraging. Ever since they revamped Bates Alley, it only make sense. The conceptual renderings included with the RFQ look encouraging - heavy activation at street level along Edwards and Bates Alley, with dense residential above. The renderings show about 70 units, split between a 5-story building along S Edwards and a 2-story building along Bates Alley. You can view the entire RFQ here.








Source: miplace.org

[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).

The 200 acres of land is connected to Bass Lake and the adjacent Al Sabo Land Preserve. It's (roughly) the bright pink area in the map that I edited, further below -

Kalamazoo County Commissioners finalize purchase of Camp Rota-Kiwan
Will Kriss | WKZO
March 16, 2021

Source: Kalamazoo County (modified)

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

Kalamazoo Youth for Christ opened its Eastside City Life Teen Center this month in the Eastside Neighborhood. The $3 million, 15,000 SF project involved an addition and renovation to a former church building at 2528 E. Main Street. The center includes a teaching kitchen, teen lounge, recreational space, art areas, computer labs, staff offices, a gym and, a small store -

Kalamazoo youth center opens
Ehren Wynder | GRBJ
March 16, 2021

Source: GRBJ | Courtesy CD Barnes

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by deja vu

Separately, for whatever it's worth, Kalamazoo was just named the coolest city with the lowest cost of living in the entire U.S. by PureWow. I can attest that the cost of living here is great. I'm not so sure about "coolest".

Other cities on the top 10?

2. Knoxville, TN
3. Fayetteville, AR
4. Oklahoma City, OK
5. Savannah, GA
6. Des Moines, IA
7. Green Bay, WI
8. Huntsville, AL
9. Indianapolis, IN
10. Greenville, SC

The Kalamazoo-Portage area has also been ranked No. 2 in the country for low cost of living by C2ER, just losing the top spot to Harlingen, TX (a city I admit I've never even heard of - it's a place of ~65,000, in-between McAllen and Brownsville). Kalamazoo has been high on this list for a while - it currently boasts a COL that is 22.2% lower than the national average, among the 269 urban areas that participated in the 2020 COL Index (published by the Council for Community and Economic Research - aka C2ER).

Other locations on the list (in this region) that are lower than the national average include:

• Fort Wayne, IN (13.2% under National Average)
• Niles-Benton Harbor, MI (12.6% under)
• Grand Rapids, MI (5.5%)
• Cleveland, OH (4%)

Kalamazoo Ranks #2 in the Nation for Its Low Cost of Living
Heather Baker | First & 42
March 10, 2021

Source: First & 42 | Adam Rossi

[deja vu]

Kalamazoo -

Work recently wrapped up at St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown. Kalamazoo became its own diocese 50 years ago, but it never had a real cathedral, at least, not according to Roman Catholic standards This $2.8 million remodel elevates the mere church to a true Cathedral (with a capital C) by providing an ambo, a massive marble altar and baldacchino, marble flooring, and new finishes & utility upgrades throughout the facility. The conclusion of this work aligns with the church's 70 year anniversary, and Kalamazoo's 50th anniversary of becoming its own diocese -








Source: Miller Davis

[deja vu]

Vicksburg -

Here's a pretty amazing before / after comparison of a space in The Mill at Vicksburg that received lead paint abatement. So excited for this massive project -


Source: LinkedIn | Frederick Construction

[deja vu]

Green Bay (yes, that Green Bay) -

I almost thought this was Kalamazoo when I saw the image accompanying the article. Green Bay Packaging (GBP) just completed a new, $500+ million recycled paper mill facility in Brown County, WI. The reason I'm posting it here is because I think I just found the reason, or at least, one reason, why Kalamazoo's Graphic Packaging International (GPI) plant is currently building it's own, $600+ million facility that will produce basically the exact same products. I mean, OK, I know that obviously this isn't the only reason GPI is expanding at this exact moment, but... c'mon, competition, baby! (we see your $500 million-worth of machines, Wisconsin, and we raise you $100 million more!)

The specs are eerily similar between the two projects. They are both among the biggest investments in their respective county's histories, and they will both be more environmentally friendly. I mean, they even have very similar-sounding project code names. Project WolfPack in Wisconsin, vs. Project Bronco in Michigan

GBP actually has a small Kalamazoo production facility too, at 5350 E N Ave. And for that matter, GPI has locations in Wausau and Menominee Falls, WI. The paper industry is still big in the greater region, and the competition is closer than you think

Green Bay Packaging New Recycled Paper Mill Begins Production
Green Bay Packaging News

Green Bay Packaging Inc. is proud to announce that the first reel of paper was produced at its new paper mill in Green Bay, WI on March 11, 2021. This significant milestone comes two and a half years after breaking ground. This success is the first step to reaching full production capacity. The $500+ million investment has had a profound, positive impact on Northeast Wisconsin’s economy and the environment...

Green Bay Packaging's recently-completed "Project WolfPack" -


Source: GBP

vs. Graphic Packaging International's u/c "Project Bronco" -


Source: LinkedIn | The Wieland Corporation