The City of Benton Harbor has 106.9 acres of parkland divided among its 11 park facilities.  The City provides a wide range of parks from one large regional park with beach access to smaller neighborhood parks of only a partial acre.  The majority of the City's parks fall into the neighborhood/community park category.  The City has done its best with limited resources to maintain the quality of these parks for its residents.  Ultimately, however, the City has spent barely more than $18,000/year to maintain its neighborhood parks while a neighboring city spends over $300,000.

The City entered into a management agreement with the Benton Harbor Parks & Recreation Conservancy (the "Conservancy") effective January 1, 2014.  The Conservancy will manage and operate the City's parks and recreation center.  The Conservancy Board of Directors is comprised of over 30 government, non-profit, and business organization in the Benton Harbor area creating an extensive array of professional and financial resources.  The Conservancy will assume the operational and financial responsibility for parks and recreation within the City with the exception of the Jean Klock Park which is a major source of revenue for the City and maintained by Harbor Shores Golf Course.  

The City encountered no significant barriers during the implementation of this proposal.