The Harbor Shores Community Redevelopment group announced this week they’re ready to move forward on developing additional areas around the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course – including areas west of the Blossomland Bridge, a piece of land further north on M-63, and a project in Benton Township that’s already been submitted to township officials for review.
Each of the projects is at a different stage but all of them will make progress toward realizing the vision of the Harbor Shores Resort that has so far turned more 500 acres of dilapidated buildings and toxic waste into a world-class golf course, 250 residential units (and counting), and related commercial opportunities.
Add to that the newly acquired former Modern Plastics site at 489 North Shore Drive in Benton Harbor and developers say there’s even more community improvement coming.
A lot of irons in the fire
Chris Cook is the president of the Harbor Shores Community Redevelopment group and confirmed they have a lot of, “irons in the fire” right now. Cook said what’s drawing a lot of interest is the Old Water Tower site on the north side of the river in St. Joseph along Whitwam Drive.
“We’re in the planning stages still, meeting with the city of St. Joseph soon to start the discussions about what we’re thinking. But what we’re thinking there is condos and/or hotel, a lot of townhome product, some single-family product.”
Cook said they’re also considering an apartment building at the site given the recent success of the Emma Jean Hall apartments in Benton Harbor.
“We’d like to use (Emma Jean Hall Flats) as a catalyst to more apartment living. Some amenities there along the riverfront, a pool and a place to hang out, get some food, dock a boat… pickleball. So, we’re looking at those.”
Cook said the next step is to move through the planning stages and if all goes well, they’re perhaps a year or two off from seeing significant residential development there. He said until then, planning and infrastructure assessments will be done in 2025.
Upton Road and M-63, Hill District, and North Shore Drive
The site north of there is at the corner of Upton Road and M63, next to the Edgewater development and near the entrance to Jean Klock Park.
“There’s a lot of wetlands there from the old interchange, but we’re getting those studied and trying to see where we can build and we’re hopeful that we can — somewhat concurrent with parcels one and two — establish another 50 units there.”
Cook said development there will depend on the environmental findings.
Another project currently in review with Benton Township planning officials is a site in what is now called the Hill District along the 13th hole at Harbor Shores.
“We have plans for nine golf villas up there. Those have been submitted to Benton Township for approval through their planning commission and so there’s some infrastructure issues to deal with there that might delay that a bit by a year or so, but that process is beginning.”
“We also have another site north on North Shore Drive out by the 11th and 12th holes of Harbor Shores, kind of the far north reaches of the development where we’d like to get another 25 to 30 (residential units). There we see a nice market for… senior housing.”
Pricing and market demand
As far as pricing for each of the residential options under consideration, Cook said housing construction is expensive and even the small golf villas are in the $300,000 to $400,000 range and up.
Asked about how the housing will be filled, Cook is confident the market is ready for what they’re planning.
“Harbor Village is the development right next to the Inn (at Harbor Shores). We have a six-unit townhome underway. Those are selling before we get them done. We have 16 lots available along the marina right next to the Inn. We haven’t broken ground yet… and we have reservations for those units. The demand is there.”
Asked about potential challenges, Cook said any unexpected results of their environmental evaluations and the economy.
“So as long as the economy stays strong and our local industries are hiring, that’s great. On top of that, though, I think we still have the tourism component of people that want to visit here and want to come and live here. They come visit. They play the golf course. We have a top 100 golf course. We have beautiful beaches. We have so much to offer here in Southwest Michigan. And people come, visit, and say, I like this. I’d like to live here. So we have that component as well.”
