The City of Kalamazoo's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has formally named the redevelopment area just northeast of downtown. This area will be known as River’s Edge.

The City of Kalamazoo has been working on the redevelopment of this area for quite some time. The new logo and tagline, “Close to everything. Far from ordinary,” represent the vision for this area. “Our goal is to create a place where people come to experience art, history, nature, and unique housing, entertainment, commercial and workspace options,” according to Martha Aills, Special Project Coordinator for the City of Kalamazoo.

Encompassing this vision, River’s Edge is the future home of the People’s Food Co-op, 507 Harrison Street. People’s Food Co-op will complete a block, which already contains two brownfield projects - MacKenzies’ Bakery and One Way Products.

To celebrate the new branding, banners sporting the logo and tagline will be installed on May 13, 2010; just in time to support the large Riverfront Clean-up Project on the 14th and 15th. Many organizations are volunteering their time for a spring-time spruce-up of this area, including; Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCorps, Northside Business Association, Northside Association for Community Development, City of Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department, Sunrise Rotary, and many more.

The City of Kalamazoo engaged LKF Marketing, a full service marketing communications firm based in Kalamazoo, MI, to help them and the community create a sound vision and brand for this unique area of Kalamazoo.

LKF Marketing is a full-service marketing communications agency located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its experience, creativity, and innovative thinking, helps customers create branding and marketing programs'; including websites, direct mail, branding, media buying, strategic planning, and more.

City of Kalamazoo Economic Development staff coordinate with the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and the Economic Development Corporation to provide an award-winning brownfield redevelopment program, small business assistance loans, gap financing, assistance with applying for tax abatements, navigating the site plan review process and site selection services.