Southwest Michigan Photos

[GRDadof3]

Post any photos you might have

[wolverine]

Oooh I have a ton of Battle Creek. I'll post after my final exams are over next week.

[GR8scott]

i'll start if off with a kzoo skyline pics that i've probably posted before

taken sometime last year when they were demolishing the upjohn tower and some other structures

[tracer1138]

i'll start if off with a kzoo skyline pics that i've probably posted before

taken sometime last year when they were demolishing the upjohn tower and some other structures

[leadsquirter]

I have some pictures I took at the opening of the new transportation center in Kalamazoo last August. The center is used as the main transfer point for city buses, Amtrak trains, and intercity bus service. The greatest thing is they restored the original Michigan Central train station.

[GRDadof3]

Great pictures and welcome leadsquirter! I love that old section of the train station.

[dtown]

Looks nice!

[WALD0123]

The Haymarket Building at 161 W. Michigan Ave. as seen today. The building was built in 1906 to house the Edwards & Chamberlin Hardware Store. It later was home to Sears and Roebuck and then the Super Bargain Center (As seen below, notice the cornice). The building was renovated and restored in the 1990's and currently houses the popular Food Dance Cafe on the ground floor and five floors of office space.

Historic photos compliments of the Portage District Library via Michigan State University's Making of Modern Michigan photo collection.

Edited January 4, 2007 by WALD0123

[tracer1138]

oooh, I kind of wish they would put the cornice back on that first building

[WALD0123]

A few shots of the new DeVisser Place development on the mall in downtown Kalamazoo. The building historically replicates the the original structure and really compliments the vintage buildings in the area. Gazelle Sports, which had been the previous ground floor tenant and has been leasing the former Walgreen's space across the street during construction, will continue to occupy the first floor. The 2nd and 3rd floors will house office space and 7 apartments. Like just about every major downtown development, this is being driving by Bill Johnston's Greenleaf Holdings.

Check out http://www.devisserplace.com/ for more information.

Also, I took a number of photos downtown over the holidays and will try and post them here with some regularity, check back for updates.

[tracer1138]

Greenleaf has indeed been doing some great stuff for downtown. On top of that, their designs are usually pretty tasteful and in my opinion compliment downtown nicely. DeVisser and the new Office building going up on the corner of Rose and South streets will make fine additions to downtown.

Can anyone list all of Greenleaf's properties/recent developments?

[WALD0123]

Greenleaf projects off the top of my head:

The New Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center

DeVisser Place

Miller-Canfield Office Building (South & Rose)

Renovation of 211 S. Rose St. to Become Greenleaf Building

(The construction trailers are for the Miller-Canfield Building next door. More information and better pictures of the Greenleaf Building can be found at architect Eckert-Wordell's website.

But the most interesting piece of news regarding Greenleaf recently is the fact that they just acquired the Michigan K-Wings along with entire Wings Stadium complex from the Parfet family for $9.6 million. This is good news because the city of Kalamazoo and DKI have been hoping to build a new arena downtown for some time now. With Greenleaf, the new king of downtown development, controlling the city's most viable minor league franchise, the odds of an arena being built in the downtown area in the next few years have increased exponentially.

[wolverine]

I really like this:

[WALD0123]

I really like this:

[tracer1138]

My only problem with that building is that they demolished the historic Park Building (below) to construct it when there's a high profile parking lot at the corner of Michigan and Rose that's just begging to be developed.

[WALD0123]

I believe the city does own it as it was used as the downtown staging area for the Metro Bus service before the new Transit Center opened. It was my understanding that one selling point of the transit center was freeing up the Michigan and Rose lot for development.

Tracer, I also saw signs for an ice rink although this map for the Holly Jolly Trolley seems to point to a rink near Eleanor & Westnedge.

For those of you not familiar with the awesome ridiculousness of the Holly Jolly Trolley:

[tracer1138]

I believe the city does own it as it was used as the downtown staging area for the Metro Bus service before the new Transit Center opened. It was my understanding that one selling point of the transit center was freeing up the Michigan and Rose lot for development.

Tracer, I also saw signs for an ice rink although this map for the Holly Jolly Trolley seems to point to a rink near Eleanor & Westnedge.

For those of you not familiar with the awesome ridiculousness of the Holly Jolly Trolley:

[bneidlinger]

By the way; there is an ice rink down water street; several blocks west of the Radisson garage near Park. It sits on one of those empty half-dirt lots and seems quite temporary.

[ZachariahDaMan]

I love looking at old pics of towns so I thought I'd post them for you guys to see.

Battle Creek

Kalamazoo

1910

1910

1940

1920

South Haven

1920

1910

1910

[bneidlinger]

Nice old pics. Hopefully that water tower isnt torn down ever. (The Michigan Historical funding for it may be disappearing soon).

[Skittlebites13]

Someone should get a collection of the older train stations in the SW Michigan area. I know of the Kalamazoo and Niles Amtrak stations are two of the ones still in pretty good condition.

[ZachariahDaMan]

That's a good idea, I'd love to see someone's picture of Kalamazoo's.

[GR8scott]

there are some of kalamazoos on the last page, once its nice out I plan on biking around to get some more pics of the zoo

[tracer1138]

Someone updated the main picture of Kalamazoo on Wikipedia

Wikipedia Article

It looks like a fairly recent aerial picture.

Notice the completed theater and ramp and also the Miller Canfield Building Under Construction.

[joescia]

That is a really cool picture. Note the demolished Pfizer buildings in the right too...

The downtown has/is really undergoing some major changes to its built environment lately.

Someone updated the main picture of Kalamazoo on Wikipedia

Wikipedia Article

It looks like a fairly recent aerial picture.

Notice the completed theater and ramp and also the Miller Canfield Building Under Construction.