Ball State Alumnus Magazine, Contributing to Benton Harbor's Future

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Alumni Association
Muncie, Indiana 47306
Phone: 765.285.1080, 1.888.I.GO.4.BSU
Fax: 765.285.1414
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January 2006 Feature

Leslie Pickell has been a consultant for more than 20 years. Living and working both in the United States and United Kingdom, she never intended to co-own a microbrewery in Benton Harbor, Michigan. However, when the opportunity arose she couldn't turn it down. "I love living here. There's just a good energy," says Pickell. "I wanted to contribute somewhere and there are a lot of people here trying to do good things."

Benton Harbor has become not only a home for Pickell, but also for a number of other Ball State alumni. Tim Flynn and Dixie Inocencio, who introduced Pickell to the city, have been utilizing their talents through their business, Inocencio-Flynn Design, Inc., and volunteering with the New Territory Arts Association. Bret Witkowski is serving as the newly appointed county treasurer of Berrien County, a position he gained without any political opposition, and Jeff Saylor is using his 27 years of architectural experience as the vice president and head of the architectural department in Benton Harbor with the architecture firm Abonmarche, Inc.

Flynn, an architect and general contractor, and his wife, Inocencio, also an architect, were responsible for the design and renovation of Pickell's microbrewery, The Livery. Within the three-story, 100-year-old structure that once served as a horse stable, they created space to accommodate a microbrewery and winery, a cafe, a stage for live music, and a gallery. Pickell, Flynn, Inocencio, and friend Mike Gardner purchased the building in 2003.

"The idea of a microbrewery and entertainment venue was born out of our thinking that it would make our lives richer here," says Pickell. "It has already provided a great way to meet people in the community."

Initially, the plan was to make the building into lofts, condos, and retail space. When they came across Steve Berthel, a former brew master at Kraftbrau in Kalamazoo, Michigan, they all agreed that a microbrewery with live entertainment is not only that
they wanted, but also something that Benton Harbor needed. The Livery opened in August of 2005 and already has proven to be a reason to visit the town. It is a popular place to relax and enjoy a variety of original and cover music, as well as local art.

"Our business itself is a tribute to the talent that's here," says Pickell, suggesting that it is a place that allows people to see more clearly the kind of city that Benton Harbor is becoming. "When you go downtown in Benton Harbor, it's literally night and day compared to how it used to be," adds Witkowski, a native of Benton Harbor.

As an adolescent growing up in Benton Harbor, Witkowski says, "All I heard was about how it was and how it used to be." For more than 40 years, Benton Harbor was on a continual economic decline due to businesses and industries leaving and problems that were similar to those being experienced nationwide within inner cities.

The city had prospered in the early 1900s because of non-citrus fruit production and sales, and it boomed in the 1920s. By the 1960s Benton Harbor began to lose industries, businesses, and residents. Today, due to the neglect of several structures, the city is responsible for 95 percent of the demolition rate of Berrien County, with the population of Benton Harbor only accounting for seven percent of the county. Some of the buildings that have not been demolished have become part of the arts district in the downtown. Cornerstone Alliance, an organization created to further economic development, has taken steps to help in the restoration and preservation of the buildings within the district.

The organization has played a key role in the development and emergence of the city, a movement that began in the late 1980s. Wendy Dant Chesser, wife of 1987 Ball State graduate Mike Chesser, serves as the executive vice president of the organization. According to Chesser, the main focus of Cornerstone Alliance is job creation, physical development, small business services, the chamber of commerce, and talent recruitment. A project that has resulted is Community Renewal Through the Arts, which has been in place for nearly six years, bringing in talented artists and utilizing the work of local businesses to create the studios, galleries, and shops within the arts district.

Inocencio-Flynn Design, Inc. is responsible for the architectural design and general construction of the renovation and restoration of the Hinkley building, which currently houses The Water Street Glassworks, the State Theater, and a job placement center for Michigan Works. Flynn and Inocencio have also designed and constructed a new gallery at The Richard Hunt Studio Center, and they designed and renovated the 210 Water Street building.

Along with Flynn and Inocencio, Saylor with Abonmarche, Inc, also works with Cornerstone Alliance and has brought about positive change through physical development within the arts district and throughout the community.

"The opportunity to design, or help create built environments that contribute to a positive or improved quality of life is certainly exciting," says Saylor.

Saylor has worked on the renovation of the relocated City Hall and the new band shell in Jean Klock Park. He is currently implementing an inner-city residential development called Harbor Town. Many of the employees at Abonmarche, Inc. have dedicated their time and talents to local efforts, such as the Jimmy Carter Work Project through Habitat for Humanity.

According to Pickell, Benton Harbor "is one of the only towns left on the lakeshore that's not developed." However, it won't be surprising if that quickly changes. The city is becoming an attraction once again, with The Livery and local artists within the arts district, its location near Lake Michigan, and residents who are committed to a future that's bright and reflective of the ambition of those working so hard today.

Without a doubt these Ball State graduates are committed to making the quality of life the best it can be, not only for those who can experience it today, but also for the next generation.

Photos in this feature provided by Deborah Armstrong of Armstrong Creative Images, Leslie Pickell, and Jeff Saylor.

January 2006