Bold Revitalization Plan for Benton Harbor

"Welcome to a visionary journey that transcends boundaries and ignites the power of collective imagination. Our community is embarking on a bold revitalization plan for the Empire Corridor in Benton Harbor that envisions a neighborhood transformed into a vibrant haven for all. Together, we will unlock the limitless potential of our streets, homes, and hearts, redefining what’s possible for our beloved neighborhood."

This bold statement on the Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation’s website seems almost too good to be true. But it’s not. The project — Transformation Beyond Imagination, the Empire Corridor Historic District Revitalization — is led by Ashley Hines, executive director and founder of the Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation (BHCDC).

The BHCDC’s multi-layered work is being accomplished with the help of a board of advisors as well as partners in the community, including residents, community organizations, schools, anchor institutions, government, businesses, and employers. Two of those local partners are associate architecture professors from Andrews University, Mark Moreno and Stella Abijuru.

“Ashley is a champion for her neighborhood,” Moreno says. “She was seeking an opportunity for Andrews University to partner. Our classes try to reach out into the community and build relationships and help them with projects, so it seemed like we would make a great team together. We have mission-oriented work, and our design studio is taking on Ashley’s project for the whole semester.”

Moreno and Abijuru’s students are part of the "Freedom by Design" class. They participate in listening sessions that happen within the community to hear what the people want and need.

“Our students were there and listened and identified that the community has a lot of aspirational goals and hopes,” Moreno says. “All students designed architectural ideas based on what they heard and their passion. There was not a lot of duplication.”

Ideas generated to revitalize the community included greenhouses to extend the garden that Hines’ has already started: pavilions in the garden; spaces for people to do mentoring, work on mental health, or provide tutoring or learning skills; a birthing center; a grocery store; and a laundromat that doubles as a social hang-out.

<<< Read the full story at the Second Wave Michigan site >>>