Federal grant will help create almost 500 jobs at Harbor Village

ST JOSEPH, Mich.-- Harbor Shores received a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week to put in boat slips at their marina. This is part of a statewide initiative to boost the economy through encouraging boater tourism. 

The Inn at Harbor Shores and its facilities will be open to the public on May 15th.

Eventually the development will turn into a village with condominiums, shops, a spa, and the marina.

The President for Edgewater Resources applied for the grant and he is confident that this project will create almost 500 jobs.

Greg Weykamp said, “What do the boaters do? Well they come in, they buy gas they go to restaurants and this project here is creating about 487 jobs for the local community.”

Weykamp said the marina will be looking for people to wash boats, pump gas, and maintain the slips.

“It’s going to be really exciting with the Boating Infrastructure Grant to help us get more transient boaters down here. It’s just part of a broader goal in Michigan of creating transient boating opportunities to link all the communities together,” Weykamp said.

Although Benton Harbor has had its financial trouble in the past few years, developers said they hope job creation will have a ripple effect on the community.

“I think that’s a part of the greater Harbor Village story. How this whole thing is really helping to transform an economy,” Weykamp said.