Benton Harbor City Commissioners have approved a proposal from Cornerstone Alliance for a new event and gathering space downtown. The Downtown Alley Retail Project would see an alley that spans the block bounded by Pipestone Avenue, West Main Street, Colfax Street, and Wall Street turned into a promenade that connects Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park with businesses downtown. At a meeting this past week, Cornerstone’s Andrew Haan told commissioners how the alley would be developed.
“The idea is to have decorative lighting overtop, a surface mural,” Haan said. “There would be seating there. We envision crating a sort of outdoor office space for anyone to come down, programming the space with events.”
Haan said Cornerstone would partner with community organizations for events in the alley. Some commissioners balked, saying there should be more discussion, but Commissioner Sharon Henderson was ready to move ahead with the plan. She said this is about fostering a bustling downtown.
“That is what we need in the city to drive economic development so people will buy homes and move into the city of Benton Harbor,” Henderson said. “So, we can raise taxes, build more homes, and increase the population in the city of Benton Harbor.”
Haan said Cornerstone Alliance is using a $155,000 Michigan Revitalization and Placemaking grant from the MEDC for the alley while putting up a $155,000 match of its own. Collapsible bollards will be installed at each end of the alley during the summer season, and it will be closed to traffic during those months. The plan is to start work right away with a possible groundbreaking in the fall. Commissioners approved a two year pilot to get started.
