KALAMAZOO, MI – A major new chapter for downtown Kalamazoo began Friday afternoon as community leaders, local officials, partners, and residents gathered for the official groundbreaking of the Kalamazoo Event Center. The ceremony, held on September 26, celebrated the future venue, now in its first phase of construction, and its expected reshaping of the city's cultural and economic landscape.
The afternoon began with remarks from local leaders, highlighting the vision behind the project and the years of collaboration that made the moment possible. The private ceremony - estimated at 384 - gathered on Water Street to witness the ceremonial first shovels of dirt turned - and the community celebration continued long into the evening outside the Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites with an estimated 3,000-plus in attendance.