Kalamazoo is a now an official "cool city"!
The Cool Cities program was launched under the leadership of Governor Jennifer Granholm and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth's Director David Hollister. According to Granholm, "Michigan's economic future lies in creative vibrant communities that are magnets for people, jobs and opportunity. Today, we're focusing the state's resources on projects that will become the magnet communities of tomorrow."
The program awards grants in the amount of $100,000 to communities that submit plans for instituting a large-scale community or neighborhood improvement project. Kalamazoo's project involved the revitalization effort surrounding SmartShop, a metalworking gallery and art school. This art center will be relocated to a renovated building on the City's north side, using the money from the Cool Cities program.
There is lots of information about what Kalamazoo and other cool cities are doing to revitalize neighborhoods and improve communities.
The City of Kalamazoo
