Downtown Kalamazoo Placemaking

• Project scheduleFarmers Alley, Rose St Plaza Construction Expected Fall 2025
• Contractor nameSmith Group (Design)

Downtown Kalamazoo is “everyone’s neighborhood”—a place where people live, work, and play. Each user has a slightly different need. Those who live in Downtown desire a complete neighborhood where they can meet their daily needs, including shopping, recreation, and entertainment. Downtown employees envision easier access to its abundant goods, services, retail, activities and safe transportation. Visitors imagine vibrant, active streets and gathering spaces with unique events and family-friendly activities that draw from the region.

Existing conditions in Downtown possess many characteristics of a vibrant, urban neighborhood. However, circulation and navigation, speeding, and uncomfortable pedestrian environment resulting from the one-way streets created a new place. The alleys and mall areas have become refuge for pedestrians seeking quieter less disruptive pathways from traffic. These areas have been sought out for safe passage for a decade. The city has improved two alley ways during development projects including Bates Alley and Haymarket Alley. These new spaces are now utilized for events, art exhibitions, live music, and hanging out. The Downtown Placemaking projects in this initiative seek to add to the vibrancy with another alley activation, plaza redesigns that act as connectors, and enhancing the experience of the Kalamazoo Mall as a more active and engaging place.

Construction on the Farmers Alley and Rose Street Plazas is expected to begin Fall 2025.The schedule for the other locations is to be determined, based on when funding can be secured. 

Downtown Placemaking Project Locations

• Exchange Alley (A): Lighting, public art installation, painted pavement design, connectivity from Farmers Alley to Rose Street.
• Farmers Alley (B): Plaza redesign and greater connection to Bates Alley; lighting, public art, landscaping, pavement design (construction expected Fall 2025).
• Rose Street Plaza at Arcadia Creek (C): redesign of plaza, connectivity of the creek trail, materials, landscaping, lighting (construction expected Fall 2025).
• Burdick Street/North Kalamazoo Mall (D): Redesign of the street to be more open to festivals, pop up events, and non-motorized traffic.
• Burdick Street between Lovell and Cedar Street (E): Apply the same principles as the festival street design from North Mall and the same design standards to create a street that can be easily closed off for events several times a year.