Park Trades Center
Physical Description

The Park Trades Center is actually a series of interconnected industrial which encompass a full city block in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. These structures occupy the entire north side of Kalamazoo Avenue from Park Street to Church Street. The main building, known and recognized as the Park Trades Center, is located on the northeast corner of West Kalamazoo Avenue (Business Loop I-94 West) and North Park Street (Business Loop 131 North) (see detailed maps on this website).

While the Park Trades Center’s history is still being researched, some parts of the building are thought to have been constructed in the late 1890’s. Other sections were later added between 1905 and 1937. The main building is a four story brick structure with 140,000 square feet of interior space – much of it with high ceilings and plenty of light, ideally suited for a wide range of artists and artisans. The north portion of the building is alternately one and two stories in height.

The building is accessible through nine separate entry doors. A truck dock with loading dock doors is located on Church Street (east side of the building). Carts and old-style freight elevators allow for easy movement of goods within the facility.

The building is open to the general public from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is open to tenants at all times via electronic entry key fobs which also provide floor to floor security whenever the building is closed. After hours and weekend access to the building for visitors can accommodated through pre-arrangement with the building management.

Rental spaces in the Park Trades Center range in size from 120 square feet to 1,200 square feet. Most of the spaces however are between 700 to 900 square feet in total size. The Park Trades Center pays for heat, reasonable trash removal, reasonable water/sewage usage, building maintenance/insurance and real property taxes. Tenants are charged monthly rent, and an appropriate fee for electricity usage, and must secure liability insurance.

Rental costs for space at the Park Trades center depend on the size of the space (required by the tenant), the location of the space within the facility, the length of the lease, the improvements already in the space and any additional improvements desired by the new tenant. The management staff always tries to accommodate a wide variety of tenant needs, e.g. placing a metalsmith with welding equipment on a concrete floor or making additional electric service available for the higher usage requirements of a small business. While many artists and photographers prefer tall ceilings and ample natural light, those with different needs and/or preferences are found suitable spaces within the facility whenever possible.

To learn how Park Trades Center tenants are treated, please refer to our complete of the artists, artisans and entrepreneurs who occupy this facility. Feel free to contact any of them for an unbiased evaluation of the services we provide. The various pictures we’ve included on this site will provide a feel for our creative community. But the best way to learn more about what we can offer you, is to schedule a visit at the Park Trades Center. Please drop in or call for an appointment at (269)345-3311.