About a year and a half ago we asked the hypothetical question, “What if our harbor looked like this?” Now, we might actually get an answer to that question.
The potential dream space for the local inner harbor envisioned by the Andrews University Graduate Urban Design Studio two years ago has a unique opportunity to become reality if the team at Cornerstone Alliance can attract the right developers to lift that dream up from just drawing it to just doing it. Cornerstone has established a partnership with Central Docks owner Jack Kinney to actively market his 3.4-acres of mixed-use waterfront property at the confluence of the St. Joseph and Paw Paw Rivers in Benton Harbor.
Cornerstone Alliance Chief Operating Officer Greg Vaughn says, “The Central Docks site is a strategic piece of property that the owner is amenable to sell, and we’ve created a partnership to help get that job done.”
The property, directly across Main Street from Whirlpool Corporation’s North American Region Headquarters in the company’s Riverview Campus complex, is on the open market for $3.9-million dollars.
Vaughn says that while Cornerstone hasn’t singled out a particular targeted use, “the site is ideal for either commercial or office space use of some type, and we’re hopeful we can attract the right investor for the best use and continue the transformation of the entire community.”
The space, at 665 W. Main Street has a panoramic view of the inner harbor in close proximity also to The Inn at Harbor Shores and the new Harbor Village project with new homes, town homes, condos and more getting underway.
Collateral material for the Kinney Properties site suggests “boundless development opportunities, just 90-miles to Chicago and 180 miles to Detroit.” The piece, prepared by Cornerstone with Aisle Rocket Studios of Edgewater, also suggests the “Site may be eligible for Michigan’s Transformational Brownfield Plan Incentive.” Cornerstone also worked with Seth Haley, who anchors his business in the Benton Harbor Arts District, for a video piece showcasing the property.
Here is a link to the ARS collateral brochure on the site:
Central-Docks-Collateral-September-2017-002
Here is a link to Seth Haley’s brief video marketing the site:
https://vimeo.com/233695785/a6cdb7a799
The Andrews University architectural vision for the site is reflected in the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market, and you can learn more about their vision for the entire inner harbor by clicking our story from February of 2016 by clicking the link below:
https://www.moodyonthemarket.com/what-if-our-harbor-looked-like-this/22455491/
