After more than 75 years in the same location, Kalamazoo’s Bank Street Farmers Market had outgrown its space. Vendors were regularly turned away due to overcrowding, parking was severely limited, and outdated restrooms needed major renovations. Uneven terrain also posed accessibility issues for patrons, limiting the market’s ability to serve the entire community safely and comfortably.
The project was split into two phases to manage budget constraints: the first phase to address the foremost needs of the market, and the second phase for ancillary items that could wait until additional funding was secured.
At the heart of Phase I was the goal to expand parking and improve overall access. A nearby safety issue, where Bank Street curved toward active railroad tracks at Lake Street, presented an opportunity. By straightening Bank Street to form a T-intersection, the city created space for more parking and enhanced pedestrian safety with new crosswalks and a three-way stop. Water main improvements were also completed, including a looped system, and several condemned homes were acquired and removed to make way for these changes.
Environmental assessments on the site uncovered elevated levels of mercury and arsenic in the soil. Contaminated soil was carefully removed and managed according to environmental regulations, with much of the clean soil preserved and reused onsite.
Because the market sits in a FEMA floodplain, stormwater improvements were critical to remediate the site’s flooding issues. Two large detention basins were added to slow and treat runoff before it enters Portage Creek. Design of the new restroom building was raised to keep it above the floodplain, with future structures planned to stay dry in heavy rain events.
The second phase was finished in December 2025 and included an 8,900-square-foot building for the winter farmers market, named the Cooney Cultivation Center after a recently retired City Commissioner. Phase 2 also included a small, enclosed playground to provide a safe area for children during Farmers Market events. Thanks to these improvements, the Kalamazoo Farmers Market now offers a safer, more accessible, and better-equipped space for vendors and visitors to enjoy this vibrant community hub for years to come.