Peninsula Fiber Network outlines under‑lake fiber route through Jean Klock Park to connect Benton Harbor directly to Chicago

Peninsula Fiber Network representatives told the Benton Harbor City Commission that a federally funded middle‑mile fiber project would be routed under Lake Michigan from Jean Klock Park and bring a direct connection from Benton Harbor to Chicago.

Jennifer Greenberg, vice president of government affairs for Peninsula Fiber Network, said PFN received a $61,200,000 federal grant and that the full Route 1 project is estimated at $87,000,000, with PFN and partner 123Net providing a $26,000,000 private match. She said PFN has already received $27,000,000 in grant disbursements and that the route would total about 535 miles and pass 35,000 previously unserved locations.

"This is an open access network," Greenberg said. "Yes, we'll own and operate it, but other providers have access to it and can utilize the resources that it brings to the network." She added the line would improve redundancy for next‑generation 911 and create economic development opportunities by linking local users to a major Chicago internet exchange.

Jim Bednarik, PFN CFO, described the marine engineering: a horizontal directional drill to install a shore manhole and sleeve at Jean Klock Park, plus a marine cable pull and protective burial on the lakebed. He said the Benton Harbor ingress/egress location was chosen after a two‑year site review and that drilling would require staging in the south parking lot of Jean Klock Park and the installation of a small telecommunications shelter in the freshwater pump station compound.

PFN provided a high‑level schedule: permitting and environmental studies through late 2025 with terrestrial construction beginning in 2026; the marine pull into Lake Michigan targeted for 2027 and service turn‑up aimed for mid‑2028. PFN said it had completed an audit tied to the federal program and that the project was part of the federal middle‑mile program created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Commissioners and residents asked about speeds, local benefits and environmental safeguards. Greenberg and Bednarik said PFN provides middle‑mile capacity (the trunk network that connects last‑mile providers to the wider Internet), not the last‑mile connections into individual homes. They said the company can deliver high‑capacity transport — “pipe” that local internet service providers would use to serve customers — and that speeds available over middle‑mile fiber far exceed the Federal Communications Commission’s broadband benchmark (25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload).

PFN representatives and city officials stressed that the marine work requires multiple federal and state approvals. Commissioner Mary Alice Adams and other residents asked for additional community briefings and a site tour of Jean Klock Park. PFN said it would continue outreach and that permits from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, federal agencies and Chicago authorities would be required for the lake crossing.

PFN described the construction footprint at Jean Klock Park as limited to a shaded perimeter in the south parking lot for a 6‑ to 8‑week drilling window and said the company would restore disturbed park areas to equal or better condition, leaving only a small manhole lid visible after construction. PFN said the telco shelter would be prefabricated, require scheduled monthly maintenance and include a backup generator.

City Manager Alex Little clarified that the PFN project is a middle‑mile build and will not, by itself, deliver fiber to individual homes; the city is exploring ways to maximize local benefit and to work with PFN and partner ISPs where feasible.

PFN provided contact materials and asked residents to direct follow‑up questions to the city clerk; PFN said the full presentation and maps would be posted online.

Ending: Commissioners thanked PFN for the presentation and asked staff to continue negotiating permits, a potential lease or easement at the pump station site and next steps for further community engagement.