Dwight Pete Mitchell with his wife, Margo

It was easy to see how Benton Harbor’s Dwight Pete Mitchell City Center Park got its moniker. When its namesake was introduced at the park’s June 16 design workshop, thunderous applause broke out! Clearly, he was a very popular city manager during his 2002-2008 tenure.

Mitchell was part of a large crowd that gathered at Benton Harbor Public Library to get their first glimpse of Michigan State University’s preliminary design plans for the park. After gathering feedback from the community at a visioning workshop in April, professors Warren Rauhe and Wayne Beyea returned with two alternatives. Rauhe referred to the first plan as a “people’s park”, featuring a multi-purpose stage, concession stand, farmers market and an urban wetland area. He characterized the second plan as a “traditional park with a bold architectural attitude.” That plan includes an events lawn, central fountain, shaded space, and a “sail-covered” promenade.

After a brief presentation from Rauhe, the crowd was let loose to wander around for the main event of the evening – gathering feedback. With sticky notes and pens in hand, they wrote comments on what they loved and didn’t love and posted them right on the drawings. Now, Rauhe, Beyea and their student teams will go back to the drawing board and assimilate all that feedback into a new round of renderings. In August, Benton Harbor residents will have a chance to review the new drawings as the plan for the park gets closer and closer to meeting the needs and desires of the community.