KALAMAZOO (WKZO)– Not all buildings are built to last as long as The Pyramids, or the cathedrals of Europe, but it seems some don’t last nearly as long as they should.
Kalamazoo County Commissioners got and update this week from staff on their Parking Ramp next to the County Building, and behind the old Masonic Lodge, which is only 37-years-old.
Inspectors say it was not built to last and it will be coming down this summer. They have already sought bids for the demolition contract.
They say Michigan’s frost freeze cycle has been slowly destroying the concrete structure since 1978, the year it was constructed and it’s now too expensive to maintain.
For now the County is looking for alternative parking.
It would cost 6.5-million to replace the ramp, and about 2.3-million to rent space in existing lots over the estimated 30-year life expectancy of a ramp in Michigan.
