Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad is back from a trip this week to Washington, D.C., where he met with his counterparts from cities all over the Great Lakes region at a gathering of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
Muhammad tells us it was a chance for the states and cities surrounding the lakes to flex their muscles and advocate for their interests. They had many.
“Advocating for a lead service line funding was huge,” Muhammad said. “The SRF funding, which expires this year, we were advocating for more funding in that area. State revolving drinking water fund, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is funded typically for five years that expires.”
Muhammad says the lead water service line replacement issue is obviously important in Benton Harbor, which has been at the vanguard of addressing the issue.
“Obviously, my focus was laser in representing Benton Harbor and representing the group and what it means for the whole. Collectively, our voices are and were much stronger.”
Muhammad says mayors and other city leaders met with about 200 Washington officials and took part in a White House reception.
“We met with Congressman Huizenga, United States Senator Elissa Slotkin’s office, got a chance to speak with her one-on-one as well and many others. So it was a very successful.”
Muhammad personally hand-delivered an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation to seek a $21.6 million BUILD Grant for infrastructure improvements along Riverview Drive. He says it would be used to better support residential and commercial development in the area.
“We want ultimately housing, restaurants, bike trails, walking pathways. We want with Charles Yarbrough Park, we want green space. My vision is a small version of Navy Pier.”
The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission tells us the grant would be used to prevent flooding in the area of Riverview Drive and reimagine how it could be developed. Muhammad said he had letters of support for the grant from U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin as well as Congressman Bill Huizenga and Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
In all, Muhammad says the trip was a resounding success with engaging conversations and helpful feedback provided to leaders from across the country.
“With my 10 years, third-term mayor, my voice on behalf of the city of Benton Harbor was right up front and right at the center of everything that was discussed.”