August Construction Update: Closing It In

As summer winds down and we head toward fall, the Kalamazoo Event Center is reaching an exciting stage of construction: getting the building closed in.

That means crews are working across the exterior to install the glass, walls and roofing that will eventually protect the inside of the building from the elements.

The Glass Is Going In

One of the most noticeable changes around the site is the amount of glass now covering the exterior.

Nearly 500 of approximately 1,100 exterior glass sections have been installed, covering about 25,000 square feet of the building.

And this isn't a one-size-fits-all job. The complete exterior glass system includes approximately 2,000 custom pieces of glass in different shapes and sizes designed specifically for the building.

Walls + Roof Taking Shape

Crews are also making their way around the building installing the panels that create its exterior walls. Nearly 1,000 of approximately 4,875 exterior wall panels are now in place.

Up above, more than 430 of approximately 1,100 metal roof panels have been installed across two sections of the building.

Put those 16-inch-wide roof panels end to end, and they would stretch more than seven miles.

200,000+ Fasteners and Counting

It takes a lot of smaller pieces to put a building this size together.

More than 200,000 fasteners have been used to secure the building’s exterior. Laid end to end, they would stretch more than 9.5 miles, about the distance from the Kalamazoo Event Center to Plainwell.

Ready for What's Next

Every new piece of glass, wall panel and section of roof brings the Kalamazoo Event Center one step closer to being fully enclosed.

As we head into fall, that progress will help create a protected interior where work can continue through the changing Michigan seasons, all while the outside of the Kalamazoo Event Center starts to look more and more like the finished venue coming in Fall 2027.