Two major business developments are reshaping Kalamazoo's commercial landscape, with Western Michigan University receiving its largest donation to the Haworth College of Business and QuikTrip seeking to establish its first Michigan location.
The Stan Lucas Trust announced Tuesday it is donating $17 million to WMU's Haworth College of Business, the largest gift in the college's history.
"This place will be forever changed as a result of this great gift," WMU President Russ Kavalhuna said.
Dan Grady, co-trustee of the Stan Lucas Trust, is a 1983 WMU business graduate who began his Broncos journey on a football coaching path. He reconnected with WMU a few years ago and felt inspired by the preparedness and passion of students in the school's TechNext program.
"This was my way of giving back for what this university did for me as a student," Grady said. He continued, "I know Stan would support this decision to bequest funds to the Western's Haworth Business College. He trusted my judgment, respected my work ethic, and believed deeply in supporting state sponsored institutions, and the students who attended them..."
Lucas, a real estate developer who passed away in January 2025, entrusted Grady with ensuring his trust be donated between four charities, including a business school that emphasizes teaching free enterprise, entrepreneurship and capitalism, along with integrity, innovation and ethical judgment in business.
The $17 million will support both current and future students across the college's 16 undergraduate majors and 300 graduate programs. WMU Haworth serves 2,500 undergraduate students and 300 graduate students.
Meanwhile, Kalamazoo is preparing for what could become the first QuikTrip location in Michigan. The convenience store chain, currently operating in 22 states, has submitted plans to build a 16-pump gas station and 5,312-square-foot convenience store at 3810 E. Cork St.
The site, located just north of I-94 and the Sprinkle Road roundabouts, was formerly occupied by The Crew Family Restaurant and Bakery, which now operates on Portage Road. QuikTrip plans to demolish the abandoned building to make way for its gas station and convenience store.
"It will be a place for food lovers, offering a full-service kitchen with a diverse menu of freshly prepared, high-quality meals that cater to different tastes and dietary preferences," according to the company documents.
City Planner Christina Anderson recommended that planning commissioners vote yes to approve QuikTrip's request based on evaluations including possible adverse effects, traffic patterns and environmental impacts. The project management team provided a traffic study conducted by CESO, Inc., anticipating the station to generate 4,114 trips per day on a typical weekday.
The location is zoned for community commercial (CC) for medium to large commercial and mixed use development, and future land use maps support commercial development at the site. Surrounding businesses include Arby's and several hotels.
"It will serve local commuters as well as out-of-town travelers coming off the highway," according to city documents.
If approved by the City of Kalamazoo Planning Commission, the project will proceed to the City Commission for final approval at a later date. QuikTrip is not the same as Kwik Trip, which has gas stations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The two developments represent different aspects of Kalamazoo's business community investment, from educational funding to retail expansion, both poised to impact the local economy in meaningful ways.