BENTON TOWNSHIP — Orchards Mall management have plans to rehabilitate the embattled shopping center, but local officials say what’s been proposed is far from becoming a reality.
Berrien County Commissioner Chokwe Pitchford, Benton Township Supervisor Cathy Yates, state Rep. Joey Andrews and Cornerstone Alliance CEO Rob Cleveland recently met with mall officials to discuss the future of The Orchards Mall.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm|2== >2?286>6?E AC@A@D65 EH@ G:D:@?D 2E E96 >66E:?8[ H9:49 E@@< A=246 2 =:EE=6 @G6C 2 H66< 28@] %96 7:CDE H2D 2 4@>A=6E6 @G6C92F=[ 6DE:>2E65 E@ 4@DE Sc_ >:==:@?] xE H@F=5 D9C:?< E96 4@>>6C4:2= 7@@EAC:?E @7 E96 >2==[ 4@?G6CE =2C86 A@CE:@?D :?E@ 2A2CE>6?ED 2?5 D:?8=6\72>:=J 9@FD:?8 2?5 255 2 4@?G6?E:@? 46?E6C[ !:E497@C5 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 @E96C A=2? H@F=5 FD6 E96 >2== 2D DE@C286 7@C EC2?DA@CE2E:@? @C =@8:DE:4D DE@C286[ p?5C6HD D2:5] v:G6? E96 D:E6’D AC@I:>:EJ E@ 9@E6=D 2?5 C6DE2FC2?ED[ p?5C6HD D2:5 E96 >2== AC@A6CEJ D9@F=5 C6>2:? 2 4@>>6C4:2= 9F3]k^Am
kAm“xE D9@F=5 36 >256 :?E@ 2 46?E6CA:646 7@C E96 E@H?D9:A[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmpD66> r92F592CJ[ @7 q65: U2>Aj pDD@4:2E6D[ H9:49 >2?286D %96 ~C492C5D |2== @? 3692=7 @7 sFC82 !C@A6CEJ w@=5:?8D[ 5:5 ?@E 4@>>6?E @? A=2?D >6?E:@?65 3J !:E497@C5 2?5 p?5C6HD]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJE9:?8 :D @? E96 E23=6 C:89E ?@H[” r92F592CJ D2:5]k^Am
kAm|2== @77:4:2=D C6A@CE65=J E@=5 p?5C6HD 2?5 !:E497@C5 E92E :E H2D E@@ 62C=J E@ 368:? D66<:?8 7F?5:?8 7C@> :?G6DE@CD[ 32?<D @C @E96C D@FC46D]k^Am
kAmr=6G6=2?5 D2:5 H:E9 56=:?BF6?E E2I6D[ 8@G6C?>6?E 7F?5D E@ 2DD:DE E96 D9@AA:?8 46?E6C 2C6?’E 2G2:=23=6] sFC82 !C@A6CEJ w@=5:?8D @H6D 2=>@DE Sbb_[___ :? 56=:?BF6?E E2I6D 7C@> a_a_[ a_a` 2?5 a_aa[ D2:5 q6CC:6? r@F?EJ %C62DFC6C $96==J (6:49]k^Am
kAm“%96 D:EF2E:@? 2E ~C492C5D |2== :D 4@>A=6I 5F6 E@ E96 56=:?BF6?E AC@A6CEJ E2I6D[ E96 4@?5:E:@? @7 E96 DECF4EFC6[ E96 4@?5:E:@? @7 E96 D:E6[ E96 D:K6 @7 E96 D:E6[ 2?5 E96 564=:?6 :? 3C:4<D\2?5\>@CE2C 4@?DF>6C DA6?5:?8] (6 92G6 E@ 36 9@?6DE 23@FE E96 D:EF2E:@?[” D2:5 r=6G6=2?5 :? 2 AC6A2C65 DE2E6>6?E] “%96 D:E6 :D F?DE23=6[ E96 AF3=:4 H2?ED E96 3F:=5:?8 C2K65[ 2?5 :E H:== ?6G6C 36 2 EC25:E:@?2= >2== 282:?]”k^Am
kAmp?5C6HD D2:5 96’D DA@<6? E@ E96 |:49:82? t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E r@CA] 23@FE 7F?5:?8 @AA@CEF?:E:6D[ 3FE A2J:?8 324< E2I6D H@F=5 36 2 4@?5:E:@? @7 C646:G:?8 2?J @7 :E]k^Am
k9cm‘tI92FDE 2== C6D@FC46D’k^9cm
kAm%9:D :D?’E E96 7:CDE E:>6 sFC82 !C@A6CEJ w@=5:?8D 92D 7=@2E65 AFEE:?8 C6D:56?E:2= DECF4EFC6D :? E96 @=5 4@>>6C4:2= DA246D]k^Am
kAmx? s646>36C a_a_[ ~C492C5D |2== @77:4:2=D E@=5 %96 w6C2=5\!2==25:F> E96J A=2??65 E@ AFE 2 9@E6= :? E96 7@C>6C y]r] !6??6J DA246 2?5 2? 6G6?ED 46?E6C :? 2?@E96C 4@>>6C4:2= DA246 – H:E9 4@?DECF4E:@? DE2CE:?8 :? pAC:= a_a`]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ ?@ DF49 H@C< 92D DE2CE65]k^Am
kAmp?5C6HD D2:5 E96 AC@A@D2= 7=@2E65 2E E96:C C646?E >66E:?8 H2D @?=J 2 4@?46AE[ 2?5 96 H2?E65 E@ D66 4@>>:E>6?E 7C@> >2== @H?6CD9:A[ H9:49 96 6IAC6DD65 2E E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm%96 4J4=6 @7 >2== @H?6CD9:A AC@A@D:?8 8C2?5 A=2?D H9:49 F=E:>2E6=J 7:KK=6 @FE 92D 92AA6?65 E@@ >2?J E:>6D[ p?5C6HD D2:5[ D2J:?8 96 H2D E:C65 @7 92G:?8 E96 CF8 AF==65 @FE 7C@> F?56C?62E9 E96 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm“u@C E96 =2DE 564256[ E96C6’D 366? 2 =@?8 DEC6E49 @7 C62==J 8@@5\=@@<:?8 AC@A@D2=D[ 2?5 EH@ J62CD =2E6C[ ?@E9:?8 92AA6?D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{@42= @77:4:2=D 2?5 >2== C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ >66E :? E96 4@>:?8 H66<D 2?5 :?E@ E96 DF>>6C]k^Am
kAmu@C !:E497@C5[ C6DE@C:?8 %96 ~C492C5D |2== :D A6CD@?2=]k^Am
kAmw6 H@C<65 2E 9:D A2C6?ED’ 49:4<6? C6DE2FC2?E :? E96 >2== 2D 2 E66?286C 2?5 :D 7CFDEC2E65 H:E9 E96 56E6C:@C2E:@? E2<:?8 A=246 :? E96 AC65@>:?2E6=J q=24< 4@>>F?:EJ] w6 D2:5 86EE:?8 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? DE2CE65 H2D 2 ?646DD2CJ 7:CDE DE6A]k^Am
kAm“%96 4:E:K6? :? >6 D2JD 36 D<6AE:42= @7 6G6CJE9:?8[ 3642FD6 x’G6 =:G65 96C6 =@?8 6?@F89] x’G6 D66? E9:D A=246 8@ 5@H?9:==] x H2D E96C6 H96? :E 92AA6?65 ]]]” !:E497@C5 D2:5] “%96 6=64E65 @77:4:2= D:56 @7 >6 D2JD[ ‘qFE E9:D :D 2 AC@3=6>] x7 E96C6’D 2 AC@3=6>[ J@F ?665 E@ 255C6DD :E 2?5 ECJ E@ 6I92FDE 2== C6D@FC46D[ 2== G:23=6 A2E9H2JD :? @C56C E@ 7:I :E]’”k^Am
k9cm~?6 DE6A 7@CH2C5[ EH@ DE6AD 324<k^9cm
kAmu2>: q232J6>: H@C<D 7@C u6>3@D $6CG:46D[ H9:49 96 D2:5 :D ECJ:?8 E@ 4@??64E sFC82 !C@A6CEJ w@=56CD 2?5 q65: U2>Aj pDD@4:2E6D H:E9 7@C6:8? :?G6DE@CD]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]96C2=5A2==25:F>]4@>^4@>>F?:E:6D^36?E@?092C3@C^A@=:46\7:G6\DFDA64ED\DE@=6\6BF:A>6?E\G2?52=:K65\@C492C5D\>2==^2CE:4=607`6gg26_\`5bf\dh6c\3gbh\e`hh`6ef5fc6]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm'2?52=D 2?5 E9:6G6D 92G6 C6A62E65=J D6E 324< 92C5\H@? AC@8C6DDk^2m[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“t249 E:>6 H6 AFE :? >@?6J[ H6 >2<6 AC@8C6DD @7 e_ A6C46?E[ D@>63@5J[ D@>6H96C6[ D@>69@H H:== ECJ E@ D23@E286 E96 AC@46DD[” q232J6>: D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 >2== @77:4:2= 2==6865 2 4@>A2?J ECF4< 925 366? DE@=6? E9:D J62C 7C@> E96 >2== A2C<:?8 =@E[ 2?5 2 42E2=JE:4 4@?G6CE6C 925 366? DE@=6? 7C@> 2?@E96C 4@>A2?J G69:4=6]k^Am
kAmp 8C@FA @7 7@FC ;FG6?:=6D 2?5 @?6 `g\J62C\@=5 2==6865=J 3C@<6 :?E@ >2== DE@C67C@?ED 2?5 @77:46D @? (65?6D52J[ G2?52=:K:?8 AC@A6CEJ 2?5 DE62=:?8 6BF:A>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96 6IE6?D:G6 7=@@5:?8 H9:49 E@@< A=246 :? s646>36C a_aa H2D E96 C6DF=E @7 2 3C62<\:?[ 4=2:>65 q232J6>:] w6 2==6865 D@>6@?6 3C@<6 :?E@ 2 324< 5@@C 2?5 E96? >256 E96:C H2J @?E@ E96 C@@7[ H96C6 E96 :?ECF56C DE@=6 D@>6 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8 6BF:A>6?E]k^Am
kAmpD E96 2==6865 EC6DA2DD6C 6I:E65[ 3@E9 E96 5@@C E@ E96 C@@7 2?5 E96 324< 5@@C H6C6 =67E @A6?[ 6IA@D:?8 2 H2E6C >2:? E@ E96 7C66K:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 D?@H] %96 A:A6 E96? 7C@K6 2?5 7=@@565 =2C86 A@CE:@?D @7 ~C492C5D |2==[ H9:49 q232J6>: D2:5 92D ?@H 366? 4=62?65 FA 27E6C >F49 677@CE]k^Am
