it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood
TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 12, 2015
There was excitement in the air as Cubs fans wondered “could it really be THIS year?” Hope truly does spring eternal.
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Water Street, Main Street and Fifth Street make up the Benton Harbor Arts District Triangle. Historically the area was the cultural center of the town, explained Ken Ankli of the New Territory Arts Association. In the 1950’s and before it was home to a post office, train station, ship canal and wharf, hotels, movie theaters, stores and restaurants. It was THE place to go on a Saturday night.
By 1985, the all the hotels were gone, the movie theaters were closed and many of the once beautiful buildings were boarded up and abandoned. The vibrant area seemed to be a victim of the flight from the downtown areas.
Then New Territory Arts Association stepped in with the idea to revitalize and renew the area through the arts. New Territory Arts Association had a plan to be: “…a unique coalition that generates and supports activities at the intersection of Art, Society and Economic Development …whose mission is to strengthen and enhance the relationship between the arts, education and physical revitalization …a program that will promote the creative arts industry for continued community image enhancement and economic reinvestment.” The organization would help do events and programs to draw people to the downtown. Today those small events have blossomed into Artoberfest which draws over 700 people to the downtown area and the quarterly Art Hop events that have people going to visit a variety of art exhibits and experiences and dine in one of the new restaurants.
The physical revitalization effort received a real boost in 2007 with infrastructure improvements including new roads, lighting and improvements to the sidewalk areas. “It really was a brand new neighborhood,” Ankli said. The improvements also came at the heels of the publication of The Rise of the Creative Class which documented a formula to use the arts to attract creative young people to the area and stimulate economic growth.
Continued on page 3
Joke of the Week!
Generosity from JohnsonRauhoff Every year, on behalf of clients, JohnsonRauhoff donates funds to purchase water filters. Logos on labels are JR clients Sur La Table, Meijer, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maritz, Newell Rubbermaid, Hamilton Beach, School Zone. The families in the photos are recipients of the filters.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS
● 10/19 Meeting Ed Foster, World Polio Day ● 10/26 Meeting Lt. Martin Kurtz, Marine
Division/Water Rescue Team ● 11/2 Meeting Tyler Newton and Jan Radde of
United Way, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
Congratulations!
Adam Lieberman gave a glowing happy buck to celebrate his daughter who just turned 20 DAYS old!
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (CONTINUED)
Now the Arts District is home to Arts Park, Thayer Park, Water Street Glassworks, Water Street Gelato Works, The Out Center, Phoenix Rising, Charlie’s Piggin’nGrinning, Library Pub and Eatery, The Ideal Place, Yakz Kayaks, ARS Gallery & Cultural Center, Richard Hunt Studios, The Livery, Top Hat Antiques, The Mason Jar Café, Citadel Dance & Music Center and 3 Pillars Music. The revitalization has also come in the form of housing. Ten years ago there were 10 apartments in the area. Now there are over 50 updated apartments for “loft living.” These updated spaces bring the architecture of the historical buildings into the beautifully restored living spaces. The next potential problem – parking. But when going from closed down building to having to walk a few blocks to park, it seems like more of a success story than a problem.
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