The South Haven City Council has moved forward on a housing and commercial development planned downtown.
At a meeting this week, the council granted Planned Unit Development status to the Center Street project, which will be between Quaker and Phoenix Streets.
What’s planned is a five-story mixed use development that will include new commercial spaces and 29 housing units. During a public hearing Monday, much of the conversation was about parking. Developer Adam Locker of Locker & Locker Properties said the project will have more than enough spaces.
“We plan to provide 67 parking spaces, and that abundance of parking is meant to provide significant public benefit, specifically 150,000 square feet of building space that does not contribute to an already tenuous parking situation downtown,” Locker said.
While most of those spaces will not be for the general public, the development will ensure any shortage of parking isn’t exacerbated. Mayor Scott Smith thanked the developers for committing to a major project in the community.
“I’ve liked this project,” Smith said. “I’ve seen a few different iterations of it. This space has been blight since I’ve been in town, around 30 years now. So it’s been a challenging area.”
The housing units will be both apartments and condos. The parcel in question has sat vacant for about ten years, leaving a hole in the downtown.
Developers hope if all goes well, units could start to be occupied in 2027.
