Kalamazoo Plans New 320,000-Square-Foot Arena

Plans have been revealed for a new 320,000-square-foot arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan, that will have the capacity to host more than 230 events per year, according to a news release.

Western Michigan University athletics and the Kalamazoo Wings hockey team are among the teams that could use the space. Early design concepts have included a primary arena, practice space for basketball and hockey teams, multi-purpose areas, and plenty of parking.

The space would also host a variety of concerts, community events, conventions and family shows. The plan was presented to the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners on March 21. The board discussed a purchase agreement with Catalyst Development Co. for the county’s land downtown that would enable the development to move forward.

Jane Ghosh, president and chief executive officer of Discover Kalamazoo, said bringing the center to downtown would be a win for the community.

“People who come for events will discover our fabulous restaurants, unique shops and world-class attractions, generating foot traffic that will help our whole area stay vibrant and enable us to attract even more visitors in the future,” she said.

The Board of Commissioners released a statement about the process, saying, “Economic development is important to the county, but so are our residents – particularly our Northside residents who would be most directly affected by the event center. We wanted to ensure a community benefits element would be in place if we were to sell our property and enable this project to move forward.”