The Benton Harbor Planning Commission has approved a site plan for a new development at the former Chase Bank building at 400 Riverview Drive.
The building has sat vacant for several years, but Shane Franks of Greenspan Construction told planners this week developers are looking to add 16 condominiums and commercial space there. The residential units would occupy the second through fifth floors.
Franks says the first floor would probably include one restaurant and another commercial operation.
“Most restaurants here locally, none of them are exceeding approximately 4,000 square feet,” Franks said. “That main floor is about 8,000 square feet. So there’s potential that, say, a restaurant comes along and says, ‘Hey, we only need 4,000 square feet.’ Then we have room for a couple of adjacent businesses that we don’t know what they are or how they’re configured. But in the meantime, if a big restaurant came, then that would probably consume the entire main floor.”
Franks said he’s been talking with local restaurant owners, and nothing is set in stone. He added due to improvements in technology since the building’s construction in 1972, an equipment room that used to be on the fifth floor will be replaced with another apartment, and heating and lighting will be updated throughout.
Planners approved the site plan, but without plans for an eventual boardwalk near the river. They said that will require state approval.
