Larry Bell Submits Application to Transform Former Food Dance Café Into Cultural Center

*KALAMAZOO* — The founder of Bell's Brewery has submitted an application to the Kalamazoo Zoning Board of Appeals to renovate a downtown building into a multi-purpose cultural center featuring a concert hall, private research library, and art gallery.

Larry Bell, president of the Larry J. Bell Library Foundation, intends to purchase the former Food Dance Café at 401 E. Michigan Ave and transform it into a community gathering space that includes a 200-seat auditorium and gallery dedicated to African and indigenous artwork.

The project documents filed with the city describe a two-building complex that would include a courtyard for outdoor gatherings between the structures. Bell plans to remove the existing parking lot and construct a multi-story addition connected to the current building.

"This will be our gallery space, but also have event space in it, a gallery for African and indigenous artwork and a gift shop," Bell said in an interview with WWMT.

"The site can be here for something for people to do," Bell added, noting the location is near his previously owned Bell's Eccentric Cafe.

City Planner Bobby Durkee told WWMT the application before the zoning board addresses design standards rather than the project's use. Durkee noted that the code requires one door every 60 feet on a building, and the proposal seeks relief from that requirement.

The application also includes plans for off-street parking and a loading area.

Bell's Eccentric Cafe closed temporarily earlier this month due to mechanical failure, according to local reports. The property at 401 E. Michigan Ave sits on land that Bell has owned and operated for years.

The project represents another piece of development in Kalamazoo's downtown, where Bell has invested in the community through his brewery and restaurant operations. The foundation's library component would house library archives and provide research space for patrons.

The Zoning Board of Appeals will review the application during its scheduled meeting. Approval would allow the foundation to proceed with renovations and construction of the proposed venue.

Sources:

  • WWMT, "Proposed venue could bring 200-seat concert hall, library, gallery to Kalamazoo" by Donny Ede, April 9, 2026
  • WOODTV, "Docs: Library, concert hall to be built at former Food Dance site in Kalamazoo"