$10.6 million expansion of Northside housing project will add 38 more apartments

A Way Home — Housing Solutions: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s series on solutions to homelessness and ways to increase low-income and affordable housing. It is made possible by a coalition of funders, including Kalamazoo County, the ENNA Foundation, and Kalamazoo County Land Bank.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Construction of the second phase of a new residential and commercial site is set to start within the next two weeks in Kalamazoo’s Northside Neighborhood.

A ceremonial groundbreaking took place Thursday afternoon on North Pitcher Street, between Myrtle and Frank streets, for the expansion of the Zone 32 residential/commercial complex.

The $10.6 million project will add 38 new workforce-affordable housing units — including one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio apartments — to a development that opened in December of 2023 on the west side of Pitcher Street. That will bring the total number of apartments there to 50 and the total investment in the overall development to about $15 million. A community room, an outdoor recreation area, and another space available for commercial use are also planned. Phase 1 already has two commercial spaces. Project owner Bogan Development LLC uses office space in part of it, and the YWCA of Greater Kalamazoo also has its Early Learning Center in Phase 1.

All of those aspects of the first phase and the construction that is about to begin have required a lot of coordination, says Jamauri Bogan, founder and chief executive officer of Bogan Development. 

“It’s taken everyone who’s here,” Bogan said Thursday, referring to a gathering of about 80 city officials, county officials, investors, planners, and others. He explained that the project requires private, philanthropic, and public resources.

“These projects take a lot of people and a lot of commitment and a lot of resources and a lot of energy to get us there,” he said. “And so we’re really just fortunate that people have come around and shared a vision to get this one done.”

Zone 32 is a reference to the number Bogan wore as a running back for the Western Michigan University Broncos football team. Since graduating from that university’s Haworth College of Business in 2019, he has focused on real estate and housing development and founded Bogan Developments. But he took a humorous moment Thursday to lament the Broncos’ controversial loss to the University of Michigan at the Wolverines’ season-opening game last Saturday.

Bogan praised the help he has received from many community partners to make the project a reality.

Phase 1 of Zone 32 is a $4.7 million development that includes a 7,800-square-foot residential structure with 12 apartment units, and a 2,500-square-foot commercial structure that houses the Early Learning Center of the YWCA of Greater Kalamazoo.

Phase 2 will reclaim about 0.6 acres of undeveloped land on the east side of Pitcher Street. A structure there will accommodate 18 one-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units, and 10 studio apartments. Although rental rates have not been announced, 10 of the units will be available for individuals or families who earn no more than 40 percent of the Area Median Income for Kalamazoo County. Median Income is a metric used to calculate the middle point in a community’s annual earnings. Half of all households earn more than the benchmark AMI, and half earn less. 

Both phases of the Zone 32 development use former Brownfield space. For Phase 2, the City of Kalamazoo approved a Brownfield Redevelopment plan and a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone plan for the project. It also invested $350,000 in the project. And it will also oversee a $500,000 Brownfield Redevelopment loan. 

Pinnacle Construction Group of Grand Rapids will be the construction manager. Design work is being done by the TowerPinkster architectural and engineering firm. More than 100 workers will be involved in the construction. And two part-time workers will be necessary to maintain the two-story facility when it opens in the fall of 2027.

“This is what Kalamazoo is all about,” Dwayne Powell Jr., Chief Operating Officer of Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, said of the new project.   “As you know, we are very big supporters of our students, and to see a (Western Michigan University) alumnus … develop a business here in Kalamazoo, especially as a minority, this is just exciting.”

Kalamazoo Forward Ventures is a year-old venture capital fund that includes Bogan as a partner. The fund is invested in his projects. Powell said it is great to see Bogan become his best self, “and grow an amazing business meeting a need that Lord knows Kalamazoo needs — affordable, mixed-use, mixed-income housing.”

What others had to say:

Jen Strebs, chairwoman of the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners. “I’m excited to watch the community re-spring into growth. We have been in a phase where we’ve seen decline occurring for far too long. As partners, at the county we’ve been able to step forward, put $2 million of the Kalamazoo County Housing Millage (into it) and watch this whole space transform into a place of new energy, new hope. It’s exciting.”

Joe Gesmundo, whose company AVB Inc. was the construction manager of Phase 1. “I think it’s incredible. I think doing projects like this on the Northside of Kalamazoo, it’s harder to do; the market, the demand isn’t as high. So for Jamauri to do what he’s done, I think is amazing. He’s an incredible guy.”

Joshua Sledge, Chief Investment Officer for the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, said he is pleased to be among community partners supporting the project.  “Seeing this block really develop and continue to grow and investment being poured into it, not only warms my heart but gives me such confidence and optimism about the future of Kalamazoo and the city.” He attended elementary school nearby at Arcadia Elementary School and attends church nearby at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

Malcolm Hankins, who was named Kalamazoo City Manager in January, said, “This is a big deal for us in the city, where housing is necessary. We not only need housing. We need options for housing. So this presents a great opportunity for us not to just have housing, but to have affordable options in different (affordability) ranges for people who need them. So thank you for bringing this to us as an opportunity.”

Clarence Lloyd, President of the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he thinks he speaks for a lot of people when he says he’s excited to see more housing being built in the heart of the city. 

“This community has been vibrant before, and there’s still community here,” Lloyd said. “There’s people that live here. There’s business that’s getting ready to take a new form. And you need places like this that combine a place to work, a place to live, a place for kids to get an education all in one spot. So neighborhoods need these types of hubs once again. Fifty years ago we used to have that, and we got away from it. Projects like these help us get back to those types of neighborhoods, those types of communities where people can walk their kids to daycare and not have to deal with transportation. And they’re right around the corner from all the activity that’s going on downtown. This is how you rebuild a community.”