A state grant of $1 million has been awarded to the city of Benton Harbor to restore and reopen the Bobo Brazil Community Center, also known as the Armory.
State Representative Joey Andrews tells us the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has announced the recipients of competitive grants focused on community centers with Benton Harbor on the list.
“We’re really supportive of making something happen with the Armory,” Andrews said. “We’ve had a lot of meetings with members of the city council and city staff since getting elected about possibilities for that building. This definitely is, I think, one of the best cases.”
Benton Harbor City Commissioners have talked for years about fixing up the center, which has been closed since 2009. Andrews says this grant is a start.
“It’s a big building and there’s a lot you can do with it, and at least this will get the ball rolling. If a million’s enough — I’m not 100% sure that it would be enough to do that whole building, but I think it at least gets this project going.”
The Benton Harbor City Commission in August voted to apply for $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fix up the center to begin offering seniors programs and basketball for young people.
Andrews says he looks forward to seeing what this $1 million in state money can also accomplish.
