KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Downtown Kalamazoo is expected to look a lot different next summer. According to Andrew Haan of Downtown Kalamazoo Partnership, three mixed-use buildings are going up. A historic building at the corner of Rose and Eleanor Streets is being converted into a new 225-room hotel.
And, he said it’s all worth close to a quarter of a billion dollars.
“Right now there’s over $200,000,000 in development underway. So, over 300 residential units,” said Haan, who's president of DKP. “That’s going to bring 500+ residents into downtown.”
Haan said each new resident is expected to spend at least $10,000 within the area, which in total will make a $5,000,000 impact on the local economy.
And, housing will be affordable he said.
“You’ve got things on the very high end that are over 2,000 a month but they’re larger,” Haan said. “Then you’ve got some really interesting products that are coming into the market that are more of a micro-unit that are as low as $500 or $600.”
Haan said the goal is vibrancy. His organization, a non-profit that’s dedicated to enhancing the downtown area economically, expect there to be more bike and train traffic once the construction is done.
“It’s really exciting to think about the vibrancy and activity that all those residents and workers and visitors will bring,” he said.
