Benton Harbor, MI

The City of Benton Harbor has struggled for decades and currently 73% of the residents are low income and 94% are people of color.  The City is revitalizing Ox Creek, which cuts through the underserved communities of Benton Harbor on its way to Lake Michigan. It’s a key environmental and social element in Benton Harbor’s urban fabric, linking the city’s downtown with neighborhoods and commercial corridors linking the city with its history, social life, and natural environment. The city envisions a vibrant recreational and economic Ox Creek corridor with bike paths, lighted walkways, pedestrian bridges, outdoor classrooms, and new commercial development and housing opportunities. 

KSU TAB services to the City include an inventory of the brownfield sites along the Ox Creek Corridor conducted by the KSU TAB partner – Terracon.  In addition, another KSU TAB partner – Ply+ -- continues to work with the community to provide conceptual planning, preliminary design, and visualization of a proposal that synthesizes and establishes a broad and collective vision for the revitalization of Ox Creek.