Event Center & Consumers Energy Utility Work

• Project typeGas, electric, water, stormwater, wastewater utility rerouting and/or upgrades
• Project scheduleMay 13 - November 2024
• Contractor nameConsumers Energy, Event Center, Wightman Hurley & Stewart, Rockford Construction

A series of utility projects will be taking place in the northwest part of downtown this summer. These projects will prepare for the coming event center and include coordinated upgrades to gas, electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities that will increase reliability and prepare Kalamazoo for future growth.  

Upcoming Closures

Work will start on Monday, May 13 on Westnedge Ave. The following detours will be in effect in the area. Streets will be closed to through traffic but access to homes and businesses in the area will be maintained. 

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What's happening?

Cooley St and Eleanor St have been vacated to make way for the event center, so the utilities that run underneath those streets must be rerouted. While this rerouting is taking place, the water and wastewater utilities will also be oversized to create redundancy and improve the reliability of those utility systems. By coordinating oversizing with the event center's rerouting, $2.675 million of assets will be contributed to our utility systems for an investment of only $300,000 by our public utilities. 

Coordinated with this work, Consumers Energy will be making a number of upgrades to their gas and electric utilities in this area. A new duct bank will be installed under Kalamazoo Ave, Water St, and Park St, and other improvements will be made nearby. Their substation on Cooley St will also be expanded as part of a $5.2 million investment to improve reliability and supply power for future developments, including the event center. 

The map below shows an overview of all work that will happen throughout this project. It will not all be occurring at the same time. 

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Project Schedule 

The different utility upgrades will be completed in phases and coordinated with other nearby projects to minimize disruption to traffic. Still, they will require a mix of lane reductions and closures, and drivers in this area should anticipate delays and seek alternate routes when possible. Signed detours will direct drivers around active construction areas or to business located in the area. The schedules of nearby work on Ransom St and Michikal St will also be coordinated to make sure detour routes are available. Businesses will remain open and accessible. 

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