A feasibility study into the development of a restaurant and ballroom at Jean Klock Park in Benton Harbor is about to get underway. Don and Barbara Meeks received the approval this week of the city commission to start looking into their idea, which would be a public-private partnership as the park belongs to the city. Meeks says he began talking about the idea two years ago with a friend from Benton Harbor who now lives in Florida.
“My wife and I took this to the point to bring this to where it is, but he and I put this thing together,” said Meeks, who is also a Berrien County commissioner.
The idea would be to have a 10,000 square foot establishment called Beaches Restaurant built above the existing concession building, with a floor above that for The Dunes Ballroom and banquet facility. There would be seating for up to 200 with the restaurant, and it would also handle the concession stand for the beach during the summer. Meeks is aiming to have the feasibility study done by the end of the year. The city commission would have final say.
