St. Joseph City Commissioners have approved a brownfield plan for a development being pursued by Harbor Shores in the area of Upton Drive and Whitwam Drive, on the north side of the St. Joseph River.

Speaking to commissioners on Monday, Berrien County Community Development Director Dan Fette said the multi-phase plan would develop the property into housing and other amenities, including a hotel, restaurants, and a marina. He said Harbor Shores is seeking tax increment financing for the parcels, which would enable it to recoup some of the investment by capturing growth in the land’s taxable value.

“This is essentially an agreement that the local units will defer that new tax revenue and allow it to be used to reimburse project costs until such time as those are retired, then the new tax revenue comes back out of the books of all the governments,” Fette said. 

Fette said when finished, the development will include 127 townhomes, 27 courtyard homes, 20 loft condos, 24 apartments in one building, and 38 villas. Some of the units will be income-restricted.

“20 of the townhomes will be restricted for rent to families earning at or below 120% of the area median median income for the next 10 years.”

Fette said that’s required for the project to qualify for a brownfield TIF. The brownfield capture will be for 25 years, ending in 2052. The Berrien County Brownfield Authority has already approved the plan, and with Monday’s commission vote, the city of St. Joseph has now concurred.

Fette said ground on the development will be broken this year, infrastructure work will go on all year, construction on housing should start in 2027, and that construction will continue through 2036.

Some renderings of the project: