The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has approved a brownfield tax capture plan for the new Harbor Shores development along the St. Joseph River in St. Joseph.
Harbor Shores Community Development is starting a two-phase, $96.5 million residential and commercial development along Upton and Whitwam Drives and south of the CSX Railroad tracks. It’s seeking a tax increment financing plan that will capture growth in the property’s taxable value to help recoup some of the development’s costs.
Berrien County Community Development Director Dan Fette told commissioners Thursday this project will eventually include 216 residential units, a hotel, restaurants, and a marina. He noted Berrien County is currently helping along several housing developments using the brownfield mechanism.
“In total, 575 units are now under contract and under the brownfield plans,” Fette said. “96 of those units will be available for low to moderate [incomes].”
Fette said this development will help Berrien County solve its housing shortage.
“It’s going to contain 107 townhomes of four different housing types. This would be everything from one bedroom to, I think, four bedroom townhomes…ranging from 1,100 square feet to 2,400 square feet. There’s going to be 27 courtyard homes, condominiums of about 20 units that will be built in a large condominium facility. There are going to be apartments — 24 rental apartments — that will be constructed within an apartment complex, 38 units of standalone villas that will be used for either short-term or long-term rental, and then a hotel that accompanies a restaurant and some short-term accommodation. In addition to all these units, 20 of the townhomes are going to be reserved for families at or below 120% of area median income for a 10 -year period.”
Fette said this new project will begin this year with about $36 million in infrastructure work. The overall project will take about ten years.
As commissioners approved its brownfield TIF, they also repealed part of the property’s 2005 brownfield plan because it’s about to run out and nothing has been developed on the site until now.
