City Commission to Consider Kalamazoo Avenue Project at June 1 Meeting

Published on May 29, 2026

Two contracts related to Kalamazoo Avenue reconstruction and two-way conversion are on the June 1 Kalamazoo City Commission Regular Business Meeting agenda. The first is a $2.139 contract with local engineering firm Wightman to manage the construction project. This is referred to as construction engineering. Wightman will serve as the owner’s representative for the construction project, manage budget, quality control, materials testing, and site inspections for the Kalamazoo Ave. reconstruction.

The second contract item is the acceptance of the construction bid from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in the amount of $16.808 million. This agreement with MDOT and the purchase order quantity are in accordance with MDOT contract policy.

Kalamazoo Ave. construction will occur in small sections over a three-year period. Current construction estimates for this project are $19.635 million. As this project is constructed and billed over the 2026-2028 time period, additional change orders will be brought forward to the City Commission, in accordance with City of Kalamazoo policy.

The conversion of Kalamazoo Ave., along with the eventual conversion of Michigan Avenue, West Main Street, Douglas Avenue, Lovell Street, and South Street in downtown Kalamazoo, are part of the City’s broader Streets for All initiative to modernize downtown infrastructure, improve transportation safety, and strengthen connections between Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, adjacent neighborhoods, and Downtown. The City of Kalamazoo received approval of a Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in October 2022 to complete construction on Kalamazoo and Michigan Avenues, with MDOT serving as the direct recipient of the federal grant.

Downtown Kalamazoo streets operated as two-way streets until they were converted to one-way traffic patterns in October 1965. Discussions about returning downtown streets to two-way traffic have continued for decades, but the conversation gained renewed momentum during the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 planning process and the 2019 jurisdiction transfer where the City of Kalamazoo regained local control of several downtown streets from MDOT.

The Kalamazoo Ave. reconstruction project would represent a long-term investment in Kalamazoo’s future, replacing aging underground infrastructure while redesigning the street to better serve residents, businesses, and visitors for generations to come. In some locations, underground infrastructure that would be replaced is nearly 100 years old. The redesigned corridor is intended to create a safer, more connected, and more people-focused downtown that works better for everyone whether driving, walking, biking, or using transit.

If approved by the City Commission, construction on Kalamazoo Ave. is expected to begin in early July and would start at the intersection of Park Street and Kalamazoo Ave. before moving eastward in short segments toward Pitcher Avenue. Kalamazoo Ave. would not convert to two-way traffic until all of Kalamazoo Ave. in Downtown is reconstructed, and the work to convert W. Main Street and Douglas Ave. to two-way traffic is completed, sometime in late 2027.

The $2.139 million construction engineering and management contract with Wightman includes oversight and budget management, quality control, materials testing, service as owners rep with construction team, and on-site inspection of completed work. The $19.6 million MDOT contract is with Hoffman Bros., a contractor with experience completing infrastructure projects in Kalamazoo. The project costs reflect an intentional decision to complete construction in smaller phases to minimize disruption downtown and allow sections of Kalamazoo Ave. to reopen sooner throughout construction.

The phased construction approach is designed to reduce impacts on businesses, residents, and traffic by reopening sections before work would begin in the next phase. One lane of traffic is expected to remain open for most of construction, except during limited periods when temporary full closures are necessary for utility work. The project includes extensive improvements both above and below ground, including:

• A new roadway designed for future two-way traffic operations;
• Replacement of aging water mains and service lines;
• Storm sewer upgrades and drainage improvements;
• Underground electric and communication infrastructure;
• New sidewalks, landscaping, street trees, and pedestrian lighting; and
• Modern traffic signals and communications infrastructure to support traffic coordination and future technology needs.

“This project is about much more than rebuilding a street,” said James J. Baker, PE, public services director and city engineer for the City of Kalamazoo. “This is a once-in-a-generation investment in Kalamazoo’s future. We are replacing infrastructure that in some cases has served the community for nearly 100 years while creating a downtown that is safer, more connected, and better designed for the way people live, work, and move today.”

Funding for the Kalamazoo Ave. initiative includes approximately $4.77 million from the federal Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Grant program, $3.471 million from the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS), and approximately $8.6 million from the City’s water, sewer, and street Capital Improvement Program funding. The project is also part of a broader historic investment in downtown Kalamazoo infrastructure, supported by more than $80 million in competitive federal and transportation grant funding secured in recent years for transportation, flood resiliency, and infrastructure modernization projects.

The Kalamazoo Ave. redesign was developed through an 18-month public engagement process beginning in 2022. Residents, business owners, and community stakeholders helped shape project priorities, including improved sidewalks, on-street parking, safer intersections, enhanced streetscape features, and better connectivity between downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.

“These investments are laying the foundation for the next chapter of Kalamazoo’s growth, preparing our community for future generations while creating a downtown that is easier to navigate, more resilient, and positioned to support economic development, housing, mobility, and quality of life for decades to come,” said Christina Anderson, city planner and deputy director of Community Planning and Economic Development. “The new Kalamazoo Ave., and the overall Streets for All initiative, will help reconnect neighborhoods, improve access to downtown businesses and destinations, modernize critical utilities, reduce flood risk, and create public spaces that are more welcoming for residents and visitors alike.”

Additional construction schedules, traffic information, and phasing maps regarding Kalamazoo Ave. will be shared closer to the start of construction.