$14.7 million Creamery affordable housing development completed in Kalamazoo

$14.7 million Creamery affordable housing development completed in Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO — Construction recently wrapped up on the $14.7 million mixed-use Creamery development in Kalamazoo, which includes 48 apartment units at affordable rates. 

The Creamery — among MiBiz’s 9 Projects to watch in 2021 — is located at 1101 Portage St. in the city’s Edison Neighborhood. The Creamery commercial and office space as well as an expansion of YWCA Kalamazoo’s downtown Children’s Center. The three-story building was built on the former site of Klover Gold Creamery.

Fifteen of the development’s one-bedroom apartments are available for rent at $319 a month to households earning $16,500 in annual income. Other apartments range in price from $811 a month to $1,460 based on bedroom type and household income. Units include washers and dryers, central air and internet access. The development also includes a rooftop terrace, fitness room, community room, on-site management, affordable childcare and indoor bicycle storage. 

The YWCA Children’s Center within the Creamery will feature on-site affordable child care for children up to 3 years old as well as 24-hour drop-in care for children up to 12 years old. Both programs are available to all families in the community and will feature a nature-based play space.

Kalamazoo-based Byce & Associates Inc. was the architect on the project while Hollander Development Corp. of Portage was the developer and will also have offices at the site. Frederick Construction of Vicksburg managed construction of the multi-year collaborative effort with the Edison Neighborhood Association, YWCA Kalamazoo, The Kalamazoo County Land Bank and the city of Kalamazoo. 

The project is expected to receive LEED Platinum certification by incorporating rooftop solar panels, a green roof, high performance plumbing and energy efficient HVAC.

Financial partners for the project included the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, InSite Capital/TCF Bank, the Stryker Johnston Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corp. The project also received nearly $2.8 million in state and local tax incentives in 2019.