A multi-use residential and commercial complex along the waterfront of the St. Joseph River and Paw Paw Rivers will be the next phase to be developed at Harbor Shores and MCL Companies has been chosen to do the work.
The Chicago-based MCL Companies was chosen in part for its commitment to job training and employment options for residents in the communities where it works.
"Since the beginning that has been the driving force behind Harbor Shores, how can we provide opportunities to area residents to better themselves," says Marcus Robinson, Harbor Shores Trustee and President of the Consortium for Community Development.
MCL will develop the Harbor Shores' neighborhood called The River Club, a marina village featuring condominium and town home alongside retail shops, restaurants, and a 57-slip deep water marina. The River Club is located in the heart of Harbor Shores development along the banks of the St. Joseph and Paw Paw Rivers.
Residents of The River Club will be offered amenities including a swimming pool, health club, and a kayak and canoe launch. A riverwalk connects with the public trail system that is being developed throughout Harbor Shores.
The initial release of 45 condominium units will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes. An incentive for the first 25 residents will include a choice of five years of a free marina slip or five years of free golf.
Harbor Shores' central amenity is an 18-hole, public Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. Plans call for more than 12 miles of trails, nearly 800 residential units, commercial space, a hotel and conference center, indoor water park, parks and more.
Harbor Shores, a non-profit developer, and it is intended that the golf course and the resort community be a catalyst to continued revitalization of Southwest Michigan. It is designed to retain residents, boost county-wide school enrollments, and create new job opportunities. This public-private partnership and the only one of its kind in the country.
The development is a cooperative effort between The Alliance for World-Class Communities, Cornerstone Alliance, Whirlpool Foundation, the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, Benton Charter Township, Berrien County, the state of Michigan and others.
Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Marcus Robinson, Consortium for Community Development
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.