Source: Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board
Department: Kalamazoo Gazette
Contact: http://connect.mlive.com/user/editorialkg/index.html

District offers new opportunities for public and private partnerships

For decades, Kalamazoo business and political leaders have championed the notion of commercial and residential development on the banks of the Kalamazoo River east of downtown.

Some good things have happened. There is the City of Kalamazoo Mayors’ Riverfront Park, which includes Homer Stryker Stadium, where the Kalamazoo Kings play professional baseball. In the area are walking trails, including one which links up with the Kal-Haven Trail that ends at South Haven on Lake Michigan. On East Michigan Avenue near Kings Highway is the Rose Park Veterans memorial.

In an ideal world, the pace of commercial and residential development on that spot would have been faster. Unfortunately, the recession of the past few years has dampened some developers’ enthusiasm and made it difficult to obtain financing.

But the national economy is beginning to show improvement. And there was some encouraging news with the recent announcement that the reclaimed industrial and commercial property will now be known as “River’s Edge.” The area is being touted as, “Close to everything. Far from ordinary.” That’s a slogan, of course, but it’s also a signal of revived interest.

The renewed effort to develop the northeast area comes on the heels of the disappointing news that the effort to build a new event center just west of the central downtown area is on hold, what with the Kalamazoo County Commission’s refusal to put a tax proposal to the voters. We believe it can and will be revived, and when it is, our county’s economic center will be positioned for dramatic progress from west to east, especially when you consider the possibilities of River’s Edge.

So the riverfront effort is particularly encouraging. “Our goal is to create a place where people come to experience art, history, nature and unique housing, entertainment, commercial and workspace options,” explained Martha Aills, special project coordinator for the City of Kalamazoo.

Property on both sides of the Kalamazoo River there has been acquired over the years. A large part of it qualifies for brownfield redevelopment incentives. Two existing brownfield projects are MacKenzie’s Bakery and the light-industrial One Way Products. Later this year, the block will be filled when People’s Food Co-op begins construction of a new store and adjacent farmers’ market at 507 Harrison St.

The city hired LKF Marketing, of Kalamazoo, to develop the new branding plan.

Logo banners have been installed in the area, and volunteers recently conducted a riverfront clean-up. Groups involved in that effort included Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCorps, Northside Business Association, Northside Association for Community Development, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and Sunshine Rotary.

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