Development tool could speed up growth on Kalamazoo's north side

The Northside Association for Community Development sits at 612 N Park St. in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Malachi Barrett | MLive.com)

KALAMAZOO, MI -- One of the poorest neighborhoods in Kalamazoo could receive a tool from the city to speed up redevelopment.

Monday, the Kalamazoo City Commission started a process to create a Corridor Improvement Authority in the Northside Neighborhood. It would create a tax increment financing district to reroute funds back into the neighborhood.

The authority would be managed by a development board focused on promoting economic growth in commercial corridors and qualified development areas. A public hearing on the "Northside Cultural Business District Authority" was set for Sept. 4.

A proposed boundary includes the lots of Ransom, North, and Frank Streets between Westnedge Avenue to the west and the Kalamazoo River to the east and Westnedge Avenue and Burdick Street between Ransom Street and Prouty Street.

Mattie Jordan-Woods, director of the Northside Association for Community Development, has been seeking cultural business district for years. When the NACD opened a pocket park last October, Jordan-Woods envisioned beautifying neighborhood corridors with similar historic displays.

The idea was brought forward by the community in 2015 and was part of an update to the neighborhood plan this summer.

A draft Northside Neighborhood Plan, approved by NACD in June, includes strategies to support and expand resident-owned businesses. Creating a Corridor Improvement Authority and providing incentives to low-income and African American residents are key components of the strategy.

The Northside Neighborhood Plan outlined specific goals for the proposed authority includes:

  • Providing financial incentives to increase the number of resident owned businesses, especially those by African Americans and low income residents
  • Increase the amount of affordable housing available in the neighborhood
  • Build the cultural identity of the neighborhood with a new logo, public art, and preservation of culturally significant places
  • Improve facades, infrastructure, sidewalks, and streetscapes

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