On March 2, 2026, the construction contract was approved for two plazas in the Downtown Kalamazoo Placemaking project, with construction expected to start in spring 2026.
The project aims to create new, lively spaces downtown and better connect the places people already gather. It grew out of a simple observation: one-way streets and speeding cars push people on foot toward the alleys and the Kalamazoo Mall, so those spaces should be great places to be.
The five locations
- Exchange Alley: lighting, public art, painted pavement and a connection from Farmers Alley to Rose Street
- Farmers Alley: a redesigned plaza with a stronger link to Bates Alley, plus lighting, public art, landscaping and new paving
- Rose Street Plaza at Arcadia Creek: a redesigned plaza with better connections to the creek trail
- Burdick Street and the North Kalamazoo Mall: a design that’s more open to festivals, pop-ups and people walking and biking
- Burdick Street from Lovell to Cedar: a festival street that can close for events several times a year
Farmers Alley and Rose Street come first. The schedule for the other three depends on when funding is secured. The design team is SmithGroup.
See the Projects page for more of what’s underway downtown.
Read the original story (opens in a new tab) from City of Kalamazoo.