Berrien County holds public hearing on River’s Edge Brownfield plan for former golf course

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners paused its regular meeting to hold a public hearing on the River’s Edge Brownfield plan, a proposed mixed-use redevelopment of the former Berrien Hills Golf Course in Saint Joseph Charter Township.

County community development staff told commissioners the project’s Phase 1 would include 180 residential units — described as 120 apartments (including studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments), 20 cottages and 40 condominiums — and about 19,500 square feet of ground-floor commercial space along Napier Avenue. Of the 180 units, staff said 60 would be income-restricted for households at or below the developer’s stated AMI threshold.

The presentation, which the community development director anchored as a review under Act 381, described eligible brownfield activities that could be paid from captured tax increment revenues: demolition and abatement (including lead/asbestos/mold work), site preparation, infrastructure (estimated in the presentation at roughly $8.2 million or…