PlazaCorp Realty Advisors Inc. announced plans for the historic 225 Parsons site in Kalamazoo, Mich., to be transformed into a national music destination, featuring the potential for a Rolling Stone experience as part of the development.
This development will include a live entertainment venue, a MI store, as well as space for musicians to try instruments or rehearse. For the less musically inclined, there will be a courtyard and cafe/restaurant with a view across the iconic site where people can enjoy a meal and soak in the musical history of Kalamazoo. Heritage Guitar will also be relocating back into its historic position, with its location in the basement of the original three-story location within the building.
This announcement was made as part of a wider program of celebratory events which saw the Kalamazoo community coming together during the weekend of Sept. 8-10 at the 225 Parsons site to celebrate the history of the iconic factory and mark a century of guitar building on site. Hundreds of people attended this family-friendly event to take part in tours, live music performances and carnival activities.
Heritage Guitar hosted a daylong celebration of 100 years in Kalamazoo, Mich., on Sept. 9.
“We are excited to share that we are working closely with Rolling Stone, the most iconic name in pop culture for 50 years, and have a partnership agreement in place to develop a premium lifestyle offering at 225 Parsons. They share our passion for the location’s history and significance and we are currently in an exploration phase to find operators for these opportunities. The reality is that while our plans are reliant upon the support of local, state and federal incentives to help us guarantee the future of this iconic, historic site, we are optimistic that with this support, we will be able to deliver a world class facility, which will further cement Kalamazoo as a vibrant and progressive must-visit location” said Jeff Nicholson, president of PlazaCorp.
“We at PlazaCorp are proud to be the caretaker of this community and national landmark,” added Andy Wenzel, PlazaCorp.’s director of acquisitions and development. “The 225 Parsons property is rich in history and as we have done with several historic renovation projects in the past, our vision incorporates this history with creating a special place for people to gather, united by a love of music. The community support around the Save the Stack campaign, which is now at 25 percent of its target, is a strong demonstration of just how important this site is to the community. We are collaborating with some great partners who are committed to making this property a gem again. We’re honored to have our community join us to celebrate the history of this site and understand our concepts for the future.”