Whirlpool’s new $23 million apartment complex on Riverview Drive is finished, and a ribbon cutting to celebrate was held on Tuesday. Emma Jean Hull Flats is four stories with 80 units that range in price from $1,350 to $1,950 per month. The complex is fully loaded with an outdoor gathering space, a dog walk area, a workout room, community rooms on each floor, and washers and dryers in the units. Whirlpool CEO Marc Bitzer told us the idea for the complex began with Whirlpool’s commitment to equity and the community in 2020. Plus, Whirlpool wanted to help address the lack of apartments in the area. He says this will be the company’s only apartment building.
“We’re in the business of producing and selling appliances, so of course we know the home, but we don’t need to own homes,” Bitzer said. “So, this is a first, but we have more than 3,000 employees in the community. Our company was born literally two blocks away from here 112 years ago. So, this is our birthplace, and it’s different.”
Hundreds gathered for Tuesday’s celebration, including Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad, who told us the idea came out of a meeting with Bitzer in 2020.
“This was in the aftermath of George Floyd, where Whirlpool wanted to exert their global influence over our 4.4 square miles, and this housing complex plays a major role in the idea,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad said he believes Emma Jean Hull Flats represents a watershed moment for the community, and only the beginning. The building is named for former Benton Harbor Mayor Emma Jean Hull, who served from 1992 to 1996 and was the first Black woman mayor of Benton Harbor. She told us she was blown away to see how nice the complex is. Residents start moving in Wednesday, and there are still units available. The building is open to the entire community.
