Considering a downtown arena

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Kalamazoo County leaders are looking over the plans to build a new arena in Kalamazoo and trying to figure out if voters will agree to pay for it.

If the plans go through, the arena would sit on a now vacant lot, bordered by Kalamazoo Avenue, Water Street, Westnedge Avenue and Park Street. Making it happen will take more than $81 million.

On Thursday, Newschannel 3 spoke to people outside the city to see if they'd be willing to help pick up the tab. There are certainly plenty of folks in Kalamazoo county wondering why they may be asked to help foot the bill for something in downtown Kalamazoo.

For Terry Watson, the owner of the Cooper Cafe, every penny counts.

“A lot of my customers are regulars, a lot are retirees, so I haven't even raised my prices in two years,” said Watson.

A one cent food and beverage tax would be applied at the Cooper Cafe, even though the restaurant is closer to Plainwell than to downtown Kalamazoo.

The average diner might be paying an extra seven cents on a meal. And Watson says she'd hear about it.

On the flip side are restaurants like Olde Peninsula.

“We have two restaurants downtown, both will benefit highly from an arena,” said Olde Peninsula owner Steve Blinn.

Blinn says if necessary, he'd provide a shuttle from the arena to the brewery. As for his customers, Blinn figures a couple might wind up paying about thirty cents extra on their dinner tab should an excise tax go through.

“Some might see it on a bill, question it, but really a small price for what it can bring to the community,” said Blinn.

Of course, the arena is still in the planning stages, and the county commission still has to decide if will continue looking into the plan and ultimately put that excise tax before the voters.