As a prolific economic development professional, nothing excites Cornerstone Alliance President Rob Cleveland as much as cranes on the skyline, earth movers in action, and physical development in the community. So you can imagine the joy he’s had in recent days watching the new million-dollar pedestrian bridge go into place over the Paw Paw River off the inner harbor.
The new structure, connecting St. Joseph and Benton Harbor by crossing over the Paw Paw near the Harbor Village development in the shadow of The Inn at Harbor Shores, is now physically in place and approaches and abutments on each end are underway to make the bridge ready for you and I to hit the trail.
The new 12-foot wide, 210-foot long span links the Harbor Village neighborhood and the existing public pathways to the opposite side of the river and establishes a path along the former Benton Harbor Ship Canal to weave it into the trail systems both completed and in process.
It was back on August 28th of 2017 that Cleveland addressed the St. Joseph City Commission with the proposed pedestrian bridge which will be able to be used by pedestrians, cyclists, residents of the Harbor Village and anyone else wishing to traverse the span of the Paw Paw River at that site. It was designed to connect the public waterfront trails adjacent to the Harbor Shores Resort community with future trails in Benton Harbor east of the river.
The concept of a pedestrian bridge in that area had been under discussion for several years and is an extension of the existing Linear Park property owned by the Cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor.
Today, as the bridge sits astride the waterway, Cleveland says, “The pedestrian bridge is an example of a true community project. It involved two municipalities — St. Joseph and Benton Harbor — private investment from Whirlpool and Harbor Shores, financial support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, constant monitoring and grant administration from Abonmarche and Cornerstone Alliance and financing from Horizon Bank.” He adds, “Without the participation of any of these entities, it would have been difficult to make this project work.”
Cornerstone applied for and received a grant to fund the construction of the bridge, which is being constructed from the Linear Park property along the path of the Paw Paw River across to property owned by Harbor Shores Community Redevelopment LLC. Harbor Shores agreed to extend an easement for public access across its property from the eastern end of the bridge to Riverview Drive.
As Cleveland says, “The team at Harbor Shores had a vision of how to maximize connectivity and mobility in the area and you can see how the bridge will dramatically impact the development. The pedestrian bridge enhances the harbor, while improving health outcomes.” By way of example he says, “The residents of the new Harbor Village, guests of the Inn at Harbor Shores, tourists and residents using the kayak launch, and business professionals in the area will all benefit from the bridge.”
Additionally, the bridge improves safety for walkers, runners and bikers. It creates another avenue to Benton Harbor’s Main Street and Arts District. Cleveland says, “It is one more thing that sets our community apart.”
Under terms of the Harbor Shores easement, Cornerstone is constructing the bridge and extension and upon completion, will transfer ownership of the bridge to the cities. Harbor Shores will be responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the bridge and extension.
As he watched contractors prepping the site, taking delivery of the bridge infrastructure, and then placement of the new bridge, Cleveland knew instantly that it would have a great impact. He says, “The pedestrian bridge can positively impact other community needs. According to data from the Center for Neighborhood Technology, communities with good walkability have significantly lower transportation costs than places with poor walkability.” He notes, “Both downtown St. Joseph and downtown Benton Harbor have Walk Scores that exceed 70, a key metric in walkability. The pedestrian bridge improves our walkability, something that benefits people of all ages, races, genders and physical conditions.”
Now that the bridge itself is in place, the approaches and pathways can also continue to take shape, and Cleveland is humbled by the collaboration that has literally and figuratively, “bridged the gap,” telling us, “None of it would have been possible without the vision of Harbor Shores, the continued investment of Whirlpool Corporation in our community, and the financial support of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.” He concludes, “It hasn’t been an easy process but Abonmarche has maintained constant monitoring of the bridge construction, and the results speak for themselves.”
Make the trip down to the inner harbor and see for yourself another great asset in the community of Michigan’s Great Southwest.
