Discover Kalamazoo reports visitor-spending gains, outlines accessibility mapping and plan for new sports facility

Discover Kalamazoo president and CEO Jane Ghosh told the Kalamazoo City Committee of the Whole on Monday that visitor spending in Kalamazoo County grew 9.2% in 2023 and “reached almost $750,000,000,” and she laid out marketing, accessibility and sports-facility initiatives intended to increase the county’s share of Michigan visitor spending to 3% by 2030.

Ghosh said the organization’s 2024 advertising refresh reached about 24 million people living within roughly a four-hour drive of Kalamazoo County and produced about 56 million impressions. She said early signals — including higher organic searches from people who saw the ads — suggest the campaign is having a positive effect on interest in Kalamazoo.

The presentation emphasized accessibility work done with Disability Network Southwest Michigan and a private travel platform called Wheel of the World. Ghosh said Discover Kalamazoo has mapped 52 locations so far and budgeted to map 130, with listings that show venue features and photos so visitors with accessibility needs can determine whether a site will accommodate them before they travel. “This is not an ADA assessment. It's to get the information so that people can know,” she said.

On sports development, Ghosh outlined progress on a proposed indoor hard-court facility intended for basketball and volleyball that she said could generate about $50,000,000 in annual economic impact at an estimated construction cost of about $41,000,000. She said a steering committee has reviewed about 30 sites, nine received a multi-factor evaluation, and Discover Kalamazoo has received proposals from three sites it considers viable. The organization has obtained detailed cost and bond estimates under several funding scenarios and hopes an indoor youth-sports facility could open in early 2027; she described tournament use on weekends and local use Monday through Thursday.

Ghosh also described a separate, larger downtown event center planned by others that she said would shift more events into downtown Kalamazoo and increase spending at bars, restaurants and retail because the project’s dispersed parking model would send attendees past downtown businesses on arrival and departure. She said the downtown arena is aiming to open in late 2027 or early 2028 and that moving existing events downtown could raise their local economic impact.

Other details in the presentation included: synchronized skating sectionals bringing more than 2,000 skaters to the Wings Event Center; a first-ever international teen CrossFit competition held in Kalamazoo; a national youth hockey tournament in April (attendance figure not specified in the presentation); and Discover Kalamazoo’s role in securing the Compete Sports Diversity annual conference for downtown Kalamazoo in 2028.

Ghosh credited a Kalamazoo County American Rescue Plan grant and a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) with funding the accessibility audit and mapping work. She said Discover Kalamazoo has been discussing funding for the proposed hard-court facility with hotel owners and that one funding option under consideration is incremental assessments on hotel room nights.

Commissioners asked about hotel capacity, equitable access for youth to the proposed sports facility, traffic and public-safety implications of the larger downtown event center, and workforce and neighborhood impacts during construction and operation. Ghosh acknowledged likely demands on downtown ambassadors and public safety and said planners are working to reduce traffic bottlenecks through a distributed parking approach; she also said the organizations involved intend to coordinate with existing local partners so the facility complements, rather than competes with, existing community recreation spaces.

At the start of the meeting the commission approved a motion to excuse Commissioners Hoffman and Wilson from the evening’s session. The motion was made by Commissioner Bridal, supported by Commissioner Decker and approved by voice vote.

The presentation also promoted near-term promotions and events: Discover Kalamazoo is distributing free kazoos at visitor centers for National Kazoo Day and running a prize drawing; the organization has opened a staffed corner visitor center at Western Michigan University and plans digital kiosks and a mobile kiosk at the WMU Student Center, the airport and the Spirit of Kalamazoo to “meet people where they are.”

No formal policy or funding decisions were made during the committee meeting; the items Ghosh described were presented as progress reports and planned initiatives, some of which will require future funding decisions and interagency coordination.