Contributed by Sean Fletcher, Kalamazoo Parks & Recreation Director
Work Begins on Betsy Ann Place in Advance of Crane Park Improvements
Kalamazoo, Michigan – Work is currently underway to reconstruct Betsy Ann Place, including lowering the grade of the street and replacement of the water main underneath. The project is scheduled to be completed in October 2018 and will require the staging and use of heavy equipment as well as the removal of certain trees.
As the work on Betsy Ann Place nears completion, an improvement project will begin at Crane Park. Improvements will include repairs to the tennis court, the addition of a pickle ball court, and general landscape improvements. The brick road will be removed and the bricks will be reused to create new pathways and walkways throughout the park, which will also help to better define the “Wedding Room” and “Social Room” spaces.
The park improvement project was coordinated with the work on Betsy Ann Place to avoid damage to the newly renovated park. Any trees removed as part of either of these two projects will be replaced with new trees. Trees that are planned to be removed were identified as dead or diseased by the City of Kalamazoo’s Forestry team.
These improvements to Crane Park were planned with residents of the Westnedge Hill Neighborhood in 2017. The City of Kalamazoo Parks & Recreation Department is currently hosting a series of meetings to plan improvements over the next five years. More information on this process and a schedule of meetings is available at www.kalamazoocity.org.