The Benton Harbor Waterfront Plaza is set to become a reality for residents of Southwest Michigan.
Cornerstone Alliance, alongside Benton Harbor government officials, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and the Whirlpool Foundation, celebrated the groundbreaking of the new waterfront plaza this week.
Vice President of Business Development Andrew Haan highlighted that this initiative represents a significant step towards maximizing the available land in Berrien County.
“It’s really important as we thought about this project to have a space that was an example of a world-class waterfront plaza,” Haan says. “So very intentional in the way we designed this space to have amenities that you’d find in one of the best waterfronts anywhere in the world. It’s going to be great.”
The project is backed by a $1 million grant from the MEDC’s Revitalization and Placemaking Program, with matching contributions from both the Benton Harbor City Commission and the Whirlpool Foundation. Haan envisions this space as a destination for everyone to enjoy year-round.
“The idea is both for passive and active recreation,” Haan says. “It’s built in with spots for food trucks. We can have events here, performances. There’s fire pits. So it’s really kind of a three-season space. It’s truly a space that can be used by the community for events, for markets, or just to come and walk.”
Site preparations have already begun and are expected to be completed by summer 2025.
