Burdick Street

Burdick Street. . , Burdick Street, 1900 (west side) , Streetcars carry workers and shoppers past grocers, butchers, dress shops, restaurants, saloons, banks, cigar stores, City Hall and the post office. Horses pulling buggies crowd the brick streets, and the new concrete sidewalks are filled with people and signs. Two to four story buildings have shops below and living space or offices above. , , Burdick Street, 1932 (north side) , Electric signals, installed in 1926, control automobile traffic and the streetcars are gone. Movie theaters and medical offices have replaced grocers, butchers and saloons. The eight story Kalamazoo building and ten story Hanselman building are filled with professional offices. Although City Hall has moved to South Street, the post office and central fire station still face Burdick Street. , , Kalamazoo Mall, 1959 (east side) , In the span of this year, two-way automobile traffic yields to the nation's first permanent downtown pedestrian mall. Designed by Victor Groen as part of an auto free urban core, the mall is intended to encourage business to stay in the city. The mall sparks new interest in downtown with remodeled storefronts, open green spaces, and eager new shoppers. , , Kalamazoo Mall, 1988 (south side) , After years of slow decline, the two southern blocks of the pedestrian mall are reopened to one lane of traffic. Newly installed wide brick sidewalks provide ample space for strolling, sitting on a bench and dining. Restaurants, banks and specialty shops line the street, and renovated living spaces occupy the upper floors. The Kalamazoo Mall is the heart of a revitalized downtown, filled with shopping, culture and commerce.