Residents are invited to join in the “Imagine Stuart” neighborhood planning process for Kalamazoo’s Stuart neighborhood on Sunday, June 26 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at “Jazz on the Lawn,” a free outdoor concert at Woodward Elementary School (606 Stuart Ave).

The event is hosted in partnership between the Stuart Historic Neighborhood Association, Allen Chapel AME Church, and the City of Kalamazoo. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about neighborhood planning and share ideas while enjoying live music, meeting neighbors, and learning about the architecture and history of Stuart’s homes. The Bill Cessna Quartet will perform at 2 p.m., followed by the Diego Rivera Quintet from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

This event is part of the Stuart Neighborhood’s planning process, but everyone in the community is invited to join.

This past month the Stuart neighborhood completed a survey to confirm the top priorities to focus on in the neighborhood plan. These include, better lighting, fixing sidewalks, fixing streets, promoting historic preservation, slowing down traffic, and supporting the Woodward Elementary School. The neighborhood association encourages residents interested in these topics to get involved in the current planning effort to identify related projects for the neighborhood and City to collaborate on implementing in the future.

It is the City’s goal to have all of Kalamazoo’s neighborhoods create a neighborhood plan. Neighborhood Plans allow residents to focus on issues important to their neighborhood, while also creating the opportunity to achieve City-wide Strategic Vision and Master Plan goals. Residents interested in getting involved in neighborhood planning for Stuart can reach out to the City of Kalamazoo’s Neighborhood Activator, Jacqueline Slaby by phone at (269) 337-8763 or by email at slabyj@kalamazoocity.org.

This event is funded by the Foundation for Excellence as part of the neighborhood activation budget. Attendees should remain cautious and follow CDC and local health official guidelines to protect themselves and the community from COVID-19.