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The City of Benton Harbor
The City of Benton Harbor owns the former US Armory building located at 472 Cass Street in Benton Harbor. Built in 1926, it was owned by the US government until the City of Benton Harbor purchased it in the late 1990s to be used as a community center building. The Benton Harbor City Commission renamed the building the Bobo Brazil Community Center in 1998 to honor the professional wrestler with local ties who had recently died.
The building served as a community center for several years. It has multiple levels and over 25,000 square feet of use it offers to the public. It houses a full basketball court, a gymnasium, a boxing ring, a conference room, and several smaller rooms on the second floor and in the basement. Another large room with an oversized garage door is located in the basement. It was a popular meeting place and used for weddings, banquets, basketball games, tournaments, and other community events.
In October 2009, the City of Benton Harbor closed the building due to lack of funding to address heating problems that led to bills as high as $8,000 in winter months. Left vacant, the building sustained damage in an April 2011 arson attempt and again in 2014, when burst water pipes in the building’s fire suppression system caused additional interior damage.
The community has been lacking a public community space since its closure. Other venues for public recreation, large gatherings or events are outside of city limits and difficult to get to, can come with high usage fees, and are not a viable option for many community members. Repairing the community center will give people of all ages a local gathering place that can foster a sense of belonging, help build relationships, promote health through exercise and activity, provide a safe place for children to gather, and promote community involvement. It will provide a needed location to offer recreational programming to city and area youth.
In order to re-open this community space, the building will need repair. The visually striking brick and concrete structure is solid and worth investment. In 2010, plans were created by Abonmarche Consultants, the city's engineering and architectural consultant of record, to address the necessary improvements. Due to a funding shortage, the full renovation was not put out to bid. Instead, a package to complete work to assist with roof repairs, tuckpointing, and window and door replacements to make the building watertight and secure against further damage was completed. Abonmarche has been regularly reviewing the items needed to reopen the building and prepared a phased five year approach to repairs as the City sought out funding sources. There are many demands on city finances and few sources of income so further work has not been done.
Substantial building work remains. Windows need to be replaced. Due to the age of the building, indoor plumbing should be examined for lead components and replace any that are found. A fire suppression system should be installed. A new basketball floor is needed. Paint, flooring, ceiling and lighting work need to be done. The restrooms are in disrepair and need to be gutted and replaced. The existing elevator providing access to the second floor needs to be replaced. Electrical and mechanical upgrades need to occur. Wiring for internet access needs to be added. The kitchen area needs refurbishment. Basic furniture to support meetings and gatherings needs to be purchased. The parking lot should be sealed. To date, the obstacle has been funding. With this funding, the city would finally be able to reopen its highly desired community center facility.