By Maggie LaNoue – Contributing Writer – July 10, 2026
The public will have an opportunity to see Albion College’s Ludington Center during the Greater Albion Area Career Fair on Thursday, July 16, as community organizations begin working together from their new downtown home.
The career fair, hosted by the Albion Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), Michigan Works! Southwest and the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Ludington Center, 101 N. Superior St. Veterans are invited to enter beginning at 12:30 p.m. According to the event flyer, attendees should bring a professional résumé, dress in business attire and be prepared to meet with local employers.
The event also gives many visitors their first opportunity to see the Ludington Center’s newly renovated first-floor offices. The Albion Economic Development Corporation has already moved into the building, the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau is settling into its new offices, and the Albion Community Foundation is expected to complete its move soon.
The organizations are relocating from separate offices around downtown. The AEDC moved from offices just a few doors away on Superior Street. The Chamber relocated from its longtime office farther south on Superior Street, while the Albion Community Foundation is moving from Eaton Street. Years ago, the Foundation and AEDC also shared office space before eventually expanding into separate locations.
Albion College continues to occupy the second floor with its Office of Institutional Advancement while making the first floor available to community organizations. The arrangement brings together groups that frequently work with the same businesses, nonprofits, residents and community partners, creating new opportunities for collaborative problem solving while helping keep the Ludington Center active as a downtown gathering place.
During a recent tour, the building’s collaborative design was evident throughout. A spacious meeting room overlooking the Kalamazoo River provides space for presentations, workshops, and community meetings. A glass-front boardroom/ conference room faces Superior Street and the Coca Cola mural, maintaining a visible connection with downtown, while a rear balcony overlooks the river, City Hall and ongoing activity throughout the surrounding business district.
The move also makes additional office space available elsewhere downtown for future businesses or organizations while creating a convenient location where residents and visitors can connect with several community organizations in one place.
Leaders of the three organizations emphasize that each will continue operating independently while benefiting from closer day-to-day communication and shared meeting space. The Career Fair will be one of the first public events to showcase that collaborative approach.
The organizations expect to complete their moves by the end of July and are planning a community open house later this year.
Asked whether the move meant the organizations were becoming one, AEDC President and CEO Debbie Kelly laughed.
“We’re not merging,” she said. “We’re roommates.”
