Jean Klock Park | Benton Harbor | Map | Harbor Shores Golf Course

The March 2006 conceptual

lan

of the Harbor Shores

Resort and Jack

Nicklaus Signature golf course

development

was not intended for the public

viewing

was by serendipity

that we obtained a copy.

It was glaringly obvious by

the location of the

Harbor S

hores

EACH"

and Golf

Lodge

at the

entrance to JKP that this

was a complete takeover

of the park.

What

also depicted

post

industrial area

to be

developed

as a mixed use

development

office space

retail

and

small

business opportunities

lso in the

plan were

townhouses,

condominiums

etc., all to create jobs

and to increase

property

and business tax revenue for

the city of Benton

Harbor.

But there

was

nother

huge problem with this

artist

rendering.

New

Products

Corporation

a 90 year old

manufacturer

of USA products that

employees

100

people,

its adjacent parcels

and warehouses

ere

virtually

wiped clean from

this conceptual plan

and

replaced with town homes

and golf

course amenities.

Click

here

to v

w an annotated PDF. Click on

the

mage

below to enlarge.

In January of 2007 the entire development

reconfigured. With the

changes

came the loss of the mixed use

development

area between Ox

Creek and Graham Avenue

that would have

created jobs and new business

would have generated

much needed tax revenue for Benton Harbor

because after all, that is what this development is supposed to be all about -

creating jobs and tax revenue for Benton Harbor.

mixed use

development's

place is a driving range

two golf holes and a new

clubhouse

for a non-profit, tax exempt

Jack Nicklaus Signature

golf course

development.

New Products Corporation

's manufacturing facility

was returned to the map

but it's

adjacent parcels

were not. Harbor Shores claims to have ownership

through

a tax sale of one

of the parcels.

The

New Products

Corporation

fighting those claims

and

has filed a lawsuit

And because the "Harbor Shores Beach and Golf

Lodge" didn't go over so

well

the

arch 2006

rendition

above

and like it makes any difference,

anned

hotel

structure at the entrance to JKP

named the "Harbor

Shores

Experience Center."

Click here

to view an annotated PDF. Click on

image

below to enlarge.

Below is an illustration of the 22 acre conversion area of the remaining

acres of JKP. The developers

made strives

to make the use of the 22 acres

sound

minuscule

but the reality is the conversion area

estroyed

the entire

wooded areas of the globally rare dunes

and

wetland areas

as well as

the

natural

ecosystems

of the park.

ow there is a

user

friendly

picnic area

in the center of three golf

holes

and

what

left of the once special

and

contiguous ecosystem

of JKP

has

been

re-contoured beyond

recognition

And where

here was

once native

vegetation

, disturbed ground

welcomed

the

arrival and spread of Phragmites,

Spotted Napweed and other

invasive plant

species. All that is really left of

this once stellar park is a

strand of beach

Click on the image below to en

larg

The next

ocument

illustrates the 22 acre conversion area in red and the

and swap

parcels

for the dunes of JKP

in green. There is much to be said

about the

itigation. Not only has JKP been gutted, the land swap

is similar

dismembered pieces

of parkland

that have been thrown and scattered.

ost of the

mitigation

parcels are

contaminated

from post industrial use and

are

termed

"facilities", meaning they are

laces of e

xcessive concentrations

of hazardous waste

To learn more read the

Gannett Fleming Report

Parcels D and F

are of

huge concern and were to have undergone mass

excavation and disposal of

soil, industrial waste and concrete debris.

Public

trails now run through these

parcels

- potentially contaminated trailways

that

families with small children walk and ride their bikes on

and

where

others

walk their dogs

. All may

e at risk

contaminated

urface water and ground

inhalants.

These contaminated parcels and trailways are what w

ere

exchanged for the pure and pristine dunes of JKP.

Click on the

mage

below

to enlarge.

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