Benton Harbor is faced with a once in a lifetime chance to update old infrastructure, and it’s starting to make a difference. That was a message of city commissioners this week as they approved yet more work. Commissioner Sharon Henderson said residents won’t see everything fixed all at once, but they will see progress.
“We didn’t get into this condition overnight,” Henderson said. “It’s 20 or more years of neglect. So, to be able to see progress, to see roads fixed. And we’re not finished.”
Commissioners this week approved $179,000 in fire hydrant replacements and $251,000 in sidewalk work throughout the community. Mayor Marcus Muhammad noted that’s on top of a $900,000 grant approved for upgrades at Hall Park and, of course, the lead water line replacements.
“We’re being heralded as a national model in Washington, D.C. I was invited to the White House complex to participate in a Replace the Lead Pipes summit with Vice President Harris and they invited me to come back.”
Muhammad said he’s to be in Washington Monday for an event with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. He said he’s going to invite the president to come to Benton Harbor to see for himself all of the work that can be done to improve communities when the resources are available. The city still has about $5 million in federal ARPA funds to spend on infrastructure improvements.
