![]() ![]() Williams said the space mostly will cater to earlier-stage entrepreneurs. With that in mind, there eventually will be a public-facing element of Kzoo Station, offering takeout and/or retail sales.Īlthough Kzoo Station will be a small space, footprint-wise, Williams said the partners estimate they should be able to accommodate about 20 businesses, between those that want to use the kitchen for catering or packaging products for distribution full time and those that are more interested in SpringGR’s part-time technical assistance resources, training, classes or pop-up events. … There were a lot of references to the old Boston House, and how people missed that environment of a neighborhood place where people could gather, could get food, could have good conversation, and so while this building won’t be able to provide all of those things right away or all at once, that was the energy that went into how this project should feel.” ![]() ![]() “The other thing that really resonated with neighbors was the desire for more diverse food options in the neighborhood. “One was that we have folks in the community who are existing food businesses, who are either working out of their home or who are working out of other kitchens across the area, and so there was a need for space that was closer to the neighborhood, as well as the space that would offer, in addition to the kitchen space, some technical assistance and resources for food businesses (and) a point-of-sale option for food businesses. “The impetus for the project really came from neighbor feedback in two different areas,” she said. Danielle Williams Courtesy Amplify GRĭanielle Williams, director of economic opportunities for Amplify GR, said the partners aren’t quite ready to start signing tenants, but they are conducting conversations and interviews with those who express interest.Īmplify GR’s service area includes most of the 49507 ZIP code, and so Williams said she expects the entrepreneurs likely would be based in either Boston Square, Madison Square, Garfield Park, Alger Heights or Franklin/Eastern. The tenant interest form is available at /kzoo-station. SpringGR and Amplify GR have started collecting contact information from businesses and entrepreneurs who might be interested in occupying space at the Kzoo Station facility. ![]() The Boston Square Together project is run by a partnership of local organizations, including Amplify GR, the Boston Square Neighborhood Association and Oakdale Neighbors, as well as businesses and residents, all of whom are working together to create and execute a shared vision of widening economic pathways in a neighborhood that has experienced decades of inequity. It will be the first development in the collective community design known as Boston Square Together, a 10-acre parcel in the center of the Boston Square neighborhood in Grand Rapids that will include affordable housing, an early childhood learning center, a park, a food hall and retail space. SE in the Boston Square neighborhood to create Kzoo Station, which is expected to open next summer. The two organizations last fall began renovating the 1,416-square-foot former Good Shepherd Auto Repair building at 1445 Kalamazoo Ave. Kzoo Station: A Community Kitchen + Eatery, a partnership of the small business training organization SpringGR and the economic development nonprofit Amplify GR, will be a commercial kitchen and multitenant retail food business space that will provide opportunities for southeast side residents looking to grow or start a food business. The partners behind Kzoo Station: A Community Kitchen + Eatery are inviting entrepreneurs in the 49507 ZIP code to explore being a tenant of their new space when it opens this spring or summer. When completed, Kzoo Station could be home to several neighborhood food entrepreneurs. ![]()
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