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Originally Posted by LMich
...As for residential development, I guess I also overstated the amount of it. But what I was getting at is that relative to commercial development in say the last 15-20 years, that most development downtown - and I was talking mainly conversions into lofts and such - has been more residential than commercial, right?
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I would agree. I don't know the dollars and cents comparison for residential vs. commercial investment in this city over the past decade, but in terms of visible conversions and remodeling especially, I'd guess that residential is winning out, to the point that semi-vacant, downtown commercial structures (thinking Mall Plaza, Corporation Hall, 100 block of E Michigan Ave.) have all had their above-ground floors converted into residential lofts and apartments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LMich
...It just seems to me that it'd be easier for Kalamazoo to try and land some bigger downtown employers to spur larger-scale residential developers, because it seems doing is it the other way around hasn't been working. But this is true of most of Michigan's cities. I think we've reached a point in a lot of these cities where attracting residents for "downtown amenities/living" instead of attracting downtown jobs to lure residents has kind of diminishing returns; we've kind of maxed out the "people who want to live downtown because of the cool shops/parks" category of potential downtown residents.
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I concur. The question in Kalamazoo that I hear all the time is, housing for who? There are very strong racial and socio-economic divisions here, and for a city so small, I think local government and developers alike have struggled to navigate the dynamics and historical divides in the city when it comes to providing new housing. I also think a lot of businesses steer clear of downtown because of the complexities involved with developing something new (various overlay districts, taxes, land acquisition, parking challenges, etc. etc.). That's pretty much a challenge in any urban center, but in a region where rural land land is available just a few miles away from the city center (and is still quite cheap and less regulated), many businesses opt for staying outside the core. Maybe The Exchange will set a good precedent for the coming years in attracting more businesses with substantial employment #s to downtown.
One thing's for sure - if the number of folks who can currently claim live / work status in downtown Kalamazoo is less than 1/2 a percent of the entire city population, yet recent studies say the downtown is ready to support another 2,000 - 3,000 units of housing, something isn't adding up...
Quote:
Originally Posted by subterranean
Yes. It's the main failure from a state policy perspective, too. Or at least it was with the 'placemaking' programs. I was initially skeptical when the community development programs moved from MSHDA to MEDC, but now I'm optimistic. I've spent enough time in the great urban centers on the west coast to understand that if there are the right jobs, then people will come. And urbanism is en vogue right now, hopefully for good, but who knows. It's important have the middle and high density housing typologies many Michigan downtowns are so sorely lacking, and the amenities, but you need to have the jobs. And the schools. Schools are also where so many communities fail badly. Without good schools, you're going to get the young professional set and perhaps a couple empty nesters, but you're not winning unless you're getting the people with kids. End of story.
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Well put. No doubt that education is a key factor. Kalamazoo has The Promise (guaranteeing discounted or free in-state college tuition to those enrolled at Kalamazoo Public Schools), which definitely helps, but its public schools need work. They are not considered as strong as many surrounding communities. Portage Public Schools, Mattawan Consolidated Schools, and Gull Lake Community Schools all rank highly in the state, and these are communities that are all growing faster than Kalamazoo proper, by at least double the rate. And I think business is growing faster in these outlying communities too.
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