All is going according to plan at Benton Harbor’s Union Park. At Monday’s commission meeting, City Manager Darwin Watson said a renovation project of more than $300,000 will be finished next Friday. He told us the work started in November, and contractors had no trouble.
“The contractor did not face any real challenges from the weather standpoint,” Watson told WSJM. “It was mild up until January or February, so a lot of the construction got done early, and a lot of the work that was done post the weather turning bad was done inside.”
Watson noted everything’s wrapping up just in time for baseball season. At Monday’s meeting, representatives of a local youth baseball team thanked the commissioners for the improvements, saying they’ll make play safer.
“The fact that there is so much being put into the park now has ignited the baseball family,” said Danny Jennings, coach of the Benton Harbor High School varsity baseball team and commissioner of the Benton Harbor Rebels. “We’re all excited, and we’re ready for the opportunity to be out there where we feel proud of where we are.”
Watson says they’re adding improved dugouts, a new concession stand, a press box, mile markers for runners, new lighting, and an area where parents can watch their kids play. The project was paid for mostly with a Community Development Block Grant.
