By James Windell
The second Strategic Economic Development listening session was held in the South Haven City Hall on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
The goal of the second session, according to economic development consultant Jim Hettinger, was to hear more from business owners and employers along with residents.
He indicated that although he had initially intended the second session to be an employer and business owner session, he has been told by a number of businesses that they would prefer a September session when “things have slowed down.”
In general, though, he said he hoped in both the August 26 and a September meeting to find synergies between area employers and residents’ thinking about wealth creation. “They could constitute strategies that are less likely to generate opposition and more likely to foster a community consensus on development initiatives,” Hettinger said.
Hettinger brings to South Haven more than 34 years of experience in assisting communities with community and economic development opportunities. He served as the President of Battle Creek Unlimited, a private, nonprofit corporation that has helped people and businesses find ways to create economic opportunity in Southwest Michigan, from 1979 to 2009. Currently, Hettinger is a consultant to economic development programs across the country.
Some of the issues that were detailed by Hettinger in the first session, held on July 30, 2025, were brought up again. “The population growth in South Haven is flatlining,” Hettinger said, “and there’s a lack of workforce housing. We are a land-starved community in terms of development.”
When he opened it up to the audience for discussion, one of the first speakers was Jeremy Burleson, Associate Dean of Lake Michigan College, South Haven Campus. He said that it was important to focus on the positives as well as the problems in South Haven. Burleson said there were many laudatory aspects of South Haven.
Dave Flack, who will be a new member of the South Haven City Council in January, 2026, raised a question: “Why aren’t developers coming into South Haven and building apartments?” If there is a need for affordable housing, he went on to ask, why aren’t developers flocking to the city to meet the housing demand.
After considerable discussion about the need for affordable housing for younger workers in the city, there was a rather lengthy discussion of some of the parking woes in downtown South Haven. Some in the audience thought there is too much emphasis on enforcement and too little emphasis on the City being friendly and welcoming.
In a review of the second session, Hettinger said he thought the session went well and he noted that more people attended this second listening meeting. “I probably should have spent less time on the downtown parking issue,” he said, “but I wanted the participants to come to the conclusion that downtown parking issues are a hallmark of a bustling downtown. By contrast, when my organization in Battle Creek was given responsibility for downtown development, I was begging for parking issues. You could park anywhere. Why? Because there was nothing going on.”
South Haven offers a favorable contrast because it has a vibrant, busy downtown during the summer months. “Give me parking issues anytime!” Hettinger remarked.
Reflecting on the second session, Hettinger said that the real results of the second session came the next day when he received several emails with some very interesting suggestions. “Suffice it to say that from the emails, it was a very successful listening session,” Hettinger said.
Hettinger indicated there will be a third session. “The September 16 listening session will be focused on employer and business owner inputs,” he said. For the most part, he explained, the first two sessions were aimed at getting at residents’ concerns, however, the third session will be for area businesses, employers, as well as residents.
The third session will be on Tuesday, September 16 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the South Haven City Hall. Although Hettinger will be most interested in hearing from South Haven area businesses and employers, all residents are welcome to attend and share their thoughts and ideas.
