South Haven Council Hears Updated Economic Development Plan

Consultant highlights new opportunities and challenges for the lakeside community

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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The South Haven City Council received a presentation on a newly updated Economic Development Strategic Plan for the community. Consultant James Hettinger discussed the city's progress on previous goals, such as improving telecommunications and business retention, as well as ongoing challenges like building the off-season economy. Hettinger recommended shifting away from traditional population-growth strategies toward an asset-based approach that focuses on South Haven's strengths, like its walkable downtown and Lake Michigan access.

Why it matters

As a lakeside community, South Haven has faced seasonal economic fluctuations and the challenge of retaining year-round residents. The updated economic development plan aims to leverage the city's existing assets and workforce to build long-term community wealth, rather than relying solely on attracting new residents.

The details

Hettinger told the council that the city has made progress on some of its goals, like improving telecommunications for residents and business retention, but challenges remain. One key issue is building the off-season economy, as only about 54% of the city's homes are occupied year-round. Hettinger suggested shifting away from traditional population-growth strategies toward an asset-based approach that focuses on South Haven's strengths, like its walkable downtown and Lake Michigan access. He also advised engaging older residents, who have reliable incomes and time to contribute.

  • The South Haven City Council heard the presentation at its regular meeting this week (February 17, 2026).
  • The Palisades nuclear plant is now reopening, essentially replacing the jobs lost when it closed.

The players

James Hettinger

A consultant who presented the updated Economic Development Strategic Plan to the South Haven City Council.

South Haven City Council

The governing body of the city of South Haven, Michigan, which heard the presentation on the updated economic development plan.

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What they’re saying

“One of the other initiatives, of course, was to try and build the off-season economy. That has proven to be very, very difficult, and approximately 54% of the houses that we have in South Haven are occupied on a year-round basis. That number drops, of course, when the winter season sets in. So that remains a huge challenge, but we've made a little bit of progress there.”

— James Hettinger, Consultant (wsjm.com)

“It's been our intent to try and improve the housing stock over the past five years to make the remote worker a little bit more at home in South Haven. In West Michigan, we are particularly strong with design engineers.”

— James Hettinger, Consultant (wsjm.com)

What’s next

The South Haven City Council will need to consider Hettinger's recommendations and determine how to implement the updated Economic Development Strategic Plan to address the city's economic challenges and leverage its assets.

The takeaway

South Haven's updated economic development plan reflects a shift away from traditional population-growth strategies toward an asset-based approach that focuses on the city's strengths, such as its walkable downtown and lakefront location. By engaging the existing workforce, including remote workers and retirees, South Haven aims to build long-term community wealth rather than relying solely on attracting new residents.