Some development news updates from the past few days -
1. Kalamazoo Downtown Arena / Event Center
A Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners meeting was
cancelled last night due to the train derailment downtown. The meeting was meant to be a chance for project leaders to pitch their ideas to the county about reviving a 6,000 - 8,000 seat multi use arena / event center. While several sites are still referenced, it sounds like they are leaning heavily towards the 'downtown' location, which would be Arcadia Commons West, in the same vicinity of the originally pitched arena ten years ago (killed by many factors, including the recession).
This could be quite a gymnastics event to watch (again), with the County, the City, tax payers, local businesses, WMU, PlazaCorp, Catalyst Development, SW Michigan First, Discover Kalamazoo, DKI, DDA, BRA, etc. all having staked interests in what happens in this area. The cost is currently estimated at $110 million. Project backers want the Commissioners to agree to adding a ballot item this fall for voter approval of a 1% food and beverage tax at all restaurants and bars in the county.
This is an old concept site plan, circa July 2009.
Source:
MLive
And a concept rendering, from the same time.
Source:
MLive
2. DDA Budget Shortfalls
Speaking of the DDA, they are struggling financially due to declining revenue. The Downtown Development Authority receives some of its revenue from a long-established tax increment financing (TIF) district (about 30 years old), which is suffering due to a dwindling pool of downtown businesses. (Related, Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. - a private, non-profit entity geared towards generating downtown investment and economic development, which regularly works with the DDA - is also suffering because it receives some of its funding from the same source).
The City Commission
announced on Monday that it intends to try and create a new Downtown Kalamazoo Economic Growth Authority, which would be overseen by the current DDA, and which would collect taxes from a catchment area larger than the current TIF district. A map of the proposed new boundary is below. It notably excludes properties owned by Zoetis and former Upjohn research buildings.
Source:
MLive / City of Kalamazoo
3. First Tenant Opens for Business at Midtown Marketplace
The new Ace Hardware is the first business to open at the site of a former Harding's, near the Westnedge Hill neighborhood. It opened yesterday. This development was previously called Shops on South Westnedge, but it is now referred to as Midtown Marketplace (only slightly less / more? generic sounding). A 28,000 SF grocery (Midtown Fresh), operated by the Shina Group, is scheduled to open later this month. Quite suburban in style, but better than an empty big box store rotting away, and both fill a need for retail in this area.
Source: MLive | Brad Devereaux
4. New Breweries
Wax Wings Brewing Co.
opened last Friday at
3480 Gull Road. The young owners wanted to create a neighborhood brewery for the east side / Comstock area. Food is provided by the neighboring Mexican restaurant for now.
Source:
MLive | Emily Monacelli
A new brewpub was also
announced for Portage a few weeks ago. Presidential Brewing will occupy the property at
8302 Portage Road (close to Latitude 42), which was a former mini golf course / laser tag / arcade space, called Laser Land. The beers will have president-themed names like "Lincoln Lager", "Oatbama", and "O-Cezanne-Can-You-See". It will be family-friendly, with a kid's area called "The West Wing" and they plan to maintain 9 mini golf holes for patrons. This sounds like a pretty unique / cool concept, and a much better fate than that which befell the former Putters Family Fun Center, along S. Westnedge Ave, which is being turned into a used car dealership lot. They had a pre-opening event on Friday with a beer tasting. Grand opening is planned for October.
This new Portage Brewery is partially the result of a new ordinance by Portage City officials intended to allow new breweries, microbreweries, and brewpubs to move into more areas of the city. The recent ordinance adds zones B-2, CBD, and CPD to the list of zones where brewing facilities can now be located.
The lot today. The building in the background will be converted into the brewpub.
Source:
MLive Media File