Work could begin next year to bring a fiber optic broadband route from Chicago to Benton Harbor by way of Lake Michigan.

Speaking to the Benton Harbor Economic Development and Parks Committee this week, Peninsula Fiber Network’s Jennifer Greenburg said a $27 million federal grant will make it possible to run the high-capacity line for broadband traffic across the lake and on into St. Joseph and Byron Center. She said having this line come through Benton Harbor will open up opportunities for the community.

“It means that there’s opportunities for high -tech users here,” Greenburg said. “It’s a marketable economic development opportunity to bring additional growth into the city, and it really sort of strengthens the region’s competitiveness.”

Peninsula is working on three major middle mile broadband routes through Michigan. The company’s Jim Bednarek said the plan for the Benton Harbor line is to come ashore at Jean Klock Park and continue to points beyond.

“We can route right through the city,” Bednarek said. “We can go past the Bobo Brazil Community Center, we can go past the City Hall and Public Safety location where we’re at here. We can go past the police and the library right through downtown and still get to our Ingress-Egress locations.”

Bednarek said Peninsula is seeking to bring its broadband line into Jean Klock Park because the shore is “nice, flat, and sandy,” a much easier spot to complete the project than many others along the coast. He added the company is also asking to construct a building for broadband equipment near Higman Park Road and M-63. It would be located on the Benton Harbor water intake pump house property, within its fence.

Committee Chair Duane Seats said during the meeting this project is a win-win for Benton Harbor, and he believes the request from the company can move forward. The full city commission will likely consider the project soon.

If it goes through, construction on the line would take place between 2026 and 2028.