$3 million to clean up Ox Creek is coming to Benton Harbor. Mayor Marcus Muhammad announced last week the city just received notification the funds have been earmarked in the Omnibus Bill backed by now-retired Congressman Fred Upton. The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission’s Marcy Hamilton tells us the support will be coming through HUD and project details could come together in the next year.
“The city is going to be in negotiations with HUD on how to best leverage that money to advance the overall Ox Creek Revitalization Project,” Hamilton said. “There may be some cleanup involved, there may be some other recreational aspects along, like a trail. The city needs to coordinate with HUD on that and come up with a plan for the money based on what other funding is coming to the overall project.”
Hamilton says a partnership involving the city of Benton Harbor, the Southwest Planning Commission, and the University of Michigan has been meeting for the past year to develop a vision to revitalizing Ox Creek. The goal is to open up Ox Creek to canoes and kayaks with a bike path and other features along it. Hamilton says improvements at Hall Park are also involved with the city recently being awarded $1 million for that work.
