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Cleaning up the past, building the future: Kalamazoo brownfield projects deliver affordable housing

Once overlooked and contaminated, two properties in the heart of Kalamazoo are now being redeveloped into affordable housing and community space. These transformations are the result of years of collaboration between the City of Kalamazoo, local developers and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), whose brownfield funding helped make these projects possible.

The River’s Edge apartment complex is located on the Kalamazoo River and was once home to a heat-treating facility and auto repair shop. It was heavily contaminated with petroleum compounds, metals and PCBs. Thanks to a $1 million Brownfield Redevelopment Grant from EGLE, the site is now being transformed into a $55 million development that includes a community center and 224 rental units with 184 reserved for households making up to 60% of the area median income. Construction is underway, with tenants expected to move in starting next year.

A few blocks away, the Harrison Circle property also sat vacant and polluted for years. Previously, the site of a gas station and junkyard, the property was cleaned up with the help of a $300,000 EGLE grant. It’s now a thriving $14 million mixed-use development with 80 new apartments—64 of which are reserved for households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income—and 5,000 square feet of commercial space.

EGLE Director Phil Roos and Brownfield Redevelopment Project Manager Douglas Koop traveled to Kalamazoo to visit both sites and meet with local leaders, state representatives and project developers. Following the site tours, Director Roos hosted a roundtable at The Foundry in downtown Kalamazoo, where participants reflected on the broader importance of brownfield redevelopment and how investments like these can support long-term economic, environmental and social resilience across the region.

“Investing in the redevelopment of brownfield sites is as much about cleaning up the past as it is about creating a brighter future for our communities, our economy and the environment,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “Projects like Harrison Circle and River’s Edge show how strategic cleanup efforts can turn once-contaminated properties into affordable housing and community assets. We remain committed to continuing this vital work across the state, ensuring every Michigan community with contaminated properties has the opportunity to benefit from these investments.”

Since 2019, EGLE’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program has supported the cleanup and reuse of more than 400 contaminated properties across Michigan. These investments have generated over 19,000 jobs and attracted $7.3 billion in private investment, showcasing the powerful return that comes from helping communities reclaim land and reimagine their future.

“The City of Kalamazoo team is grateful for the strong partnership we have with EGLE,” said Mayor David Anderson. “The reuse of former industrial sites in a manner that is safe and supports important redevelopment is critically important work for the city. EGLE brings expertise, resources and a commitment to project success. Without the participation of the excellent EGLE Brownfield team, these developments would not occur.”

“As a former member of the Kalamazoo County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Board for over a decade, I’ve witnessed the rehabilitation of many contaminated industrial sites that we have been able to redevelop into prime commercial real estate properties. With the changes in brownfield policy we passed at the state level, I am thrilled we can also turn brownfields in Kalamazoo into vibrant housing solutions for our communities,” stated State Representative Julie Rogers.

Check out EGLE’s brownfield redevelopment web page for more efforts that support communities.

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