The Benton Harbor Downtown Development Authority is making plans for a resurrection. The recently revitalized arm of Benton Harbor City government has acquired the long-shuttered State Theater downtown. The DDA plans to restore and redevelop the old theater over the next several years. DDA Chairman Richard Hensel told MoodyOnTheMarket.com the group engineered a two part donation that allowed the project to be launched. The building owner, Steven Brickman of South Haven, donated the structure and an un-named local family foundation donated $100,000 dollars cash to fund planning and stabilization of the building. The State Theater has been vacant and unheated for nearly fifteen years. So, there’s likely plenty of work to be done just to stabilize it before any improvements. Hensel estimated the DDA will initially be trying to raise at least $1.5 million to bring the building up to a useable condition. He predicts it will eventually fill the need for a medium size venue for music, live theater and film presentations and be another important component to revitalizing downtown Benton Harbor.
