The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has approved an agreement with Cornerstone Alliance that will allow for the reconstruction of part of Yore Avenue in Benton Township.

Berrien County Road Department Managing Director Mark Heyliger tells us Cornerstone has received some grants from the state to develop the Lake Michigan Industrial Park, a site it’s hoping will soon the home of large industrial or commercial operations. One grant will pay for most of the reconstruction of Yore Avenue from Napier Avenue to Townline Road.

“This summer, due to the partnership with Cornerstone and the grant from the state, we’re going to be removing all the concrete on Yore Avenue and replacing it with asphalt and fixing the shoulders, etc., and making sure everything’s squared away so that when that area is developed for whatever it got zoned at, it will be able to handle the traffic,” Heyliger said.

Cornerstone will contribute $1.75 million for the work, while the county will contribute about $151,000.

County commissioners say this partnership with Cornerstone Alliance will pave the way to better economic development. When asked if it’s unusual for a private entity like Cornerstone to cover the cost of a road project, Heyliger told us he can’t say that never happens, but it’s not something the road department does every year.