Renovations continue on Portage Street development

Funding is now in place for renovation work at 1311 Portage St., a project local officials hope will inspire development to transform the Edison neighborhood.

Downtown Tomorrow Inc., which owns the building, already is working with a credit union that has expressed interest in 1,000 square feet of the building.

The 3,500-square-foot building could be divided into three to five units depending upon what appears will work best to attract prospective tenants.
 
Initial work on the building, including new windows and roof repairs, was completed with a portion of the funds from a $100,000 Cool Cities grant from the state of Michigan. The majority of the Cool Cities grant went toward demolition of Deja Vu, an adult entertainment venue.

Now the City of Kalamazoo has OK’d spending $250,000 in federal Neighborhood Catalyst block grant funds to renovate the building to what is known as a white box — the basic work is done, but the tenant can finish the unit to fit its needs.

The work, which will preserve some of the historical features and provides for heating, cooling and electrical and similar renovation work, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“When it’s finished we will market the site,” says Steve Deisler, vice president of planning and development for Downtown Tommorow Inc.  

The city’s overall vision to redevelop the neighborhood temporarily stalled as financing for the project proved difficult given current economic conditions.

This project in tandem with an apartment renovation project taking place across the street may kick-start revitalization efforts in the area since Deja Vu moved out nearly five years ago.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Steve Deisler, DTI