Benton Harbor apartments unveiled that restore long-vacant building

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- Tuesday marked another step in the restoration of downtown Benton Harbor as the City Center Lofts were unveiled and almost ready for move in.

The area has been the hub for economic development for over a decade with the creation of its Arts District, the expansion of Whirlpool facilities – including its Riverview Campus, and the Harbor Shores project – constructing the hotel and golf course that now hosts the Senior PGA.

There aren’t a ton of living options in the heart of it all, though, but that’s starting to change. 

“This is really the first apartment complex of any scale and it was to be able to say, ‘Look, we can build modern, market-rate housing in the city of Benton Harbor,’” said Rob Cleveland, President & CEO of Cornerstone Alliance.

After breaking ground last year, City Center Lofts has 16 apartments ready to become homes.

Benton Harbor-based Cornerstone Alliance said the property had been vacant for 15 years.

They then enlisted Cressy Commercial Real Estate out of South Bend for the development.

“We could make the building make sense, there were partnerships in place that we could leverage to cover some of the cost, and it’s good for the community and I believe it’ll be catalytic,” said Chris Fielding, CEO of Cressy Commercial Real Estate.

There are more living options to come, Whirlpool just got state approval for a $22 million apartment investment on Riverview Drive.

While developer LC Consulting has brought a proposal to the city for a 55-unit complex that would also house the first full-service grocery store downtown. 

“All these different companies in our communities are investing, it shows there’s a demand for housing in Benton Harbor,” said Cleveland. "If you haven’t been downtown in a while, you’re missing out.”

The 16 apartments range from studio to one-bedroom, while the retail spaces make up 4,000 square feet.

If you’re interested in renting a residential unit, contact Sam Cressy, Property Manager, at (574) 271-4060 extension 1056 or [email protected].

For commercial space, contact Noah Davey, Senior Broker and Principal of Cressy Commercial Real Estate, at (574) 271-4060 extension 1030 or [email protected].