Benton Harbor City Commissioners have voted to accept two grants for the renovation of the Bobo Brazil Community Center.

At their regular meeting on Monday, commissioners discussed the $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the $16 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. Of particular concern was the EPA grant, which was awarded to the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and the city to turn the facility into a resiliency center offering job training, home energy assistance, and disaster relief. City Manager Alex Little said Benton Harbor will have a lot of help and time to make all of that happen.

“This money is spread out over a three year period,” Little said. “So there’ll be a lot going on for this city, and we’re going to do the very best we can to make sure that it’s done as well as we can so that there’s something to see years from now as a result of what was put together in this effort.”

The other grant is geared toward basic building repairs like fixing the roof, replacing windows, and deep cleaning. Commissioners had fewer questions about that one.

Mayor Marcus Muhammad said with these two opportunities coming in, plus another $1 million grant already received for Bobo Brazil, it’s an exciting time.

“The great thing that I see in all of this is that at one point, there was nothing for us,” Muhammad said. “There were a lot of great plans, a lot of tours taken, but the issue was no money.”

The city has sought to reopen the Bobo Brazil Community Center, also known as the Armory, for well over a decade. The building at 472 Cass Street has been closed since 2009 and has suffered extensive damage since.

Commissioners Monday approved both grants, although there are now questions about the status of the $16 million from the EPA. The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered all federal grants to be frozen pending a review, although a judge later issued a stay on the move.