An industrial fixture in the area since the 1930s, the Modern Plastics site at 489 North Shore Drive in Benton Harbor is up for auction.
Modern Plastics was founded by Walter Miller. After his death, the business was owned and operated for years by the Miller family. The company was known for injection, compression, and extrusion blow molding parts for industrial manufacturers including auto makers and Whirlpool Corporation.
County Treasurer Shelly Weich says after years of court proceedings and sitting vacant since its closure in 2008, Berrien County formally took possession of the property in 2020 due to unpaid property taxes.
The property up for auction is approximately 10-and-a-half acres, the structure is in poor condition and parts of the roof are caved in. There are unknown barrels of chemicals inside and most of the building has been gutted for anything of value.
Weich said the property will have to be remediated before it can be put back into use.
“The City of Benton Harbor is working to put a demolition order on the property. So if you are a successful buyer of that property, you’re going to have (a certain) amount of days to comply with the condemnation order to demo the property and clean it up.”
Area business sources say given the chemical contamination at the site, it’s likely the cleanup of the property will run into the millions of dollars.
On the bright side, the property is directly adjacent to the Golf Club at Harbor Shores and a portion sits right on Ox Creek.
The property is currently zoned for industrial use, however after cleanup there’s the possibility it could be rezoned for commercial and/or mixed-use residential. The minimum bid is $752,468.92, which will cover the outstanding property taxes.
The auction is entirely online and will be conducted September 3. You can view the property and others up for auction by visiting this site and searching for Berrien County auctions.
