MIDLAND, MI — Elected officials this spring could approve a $14 million plan to redevelop a half-mile stretch of downtown Midland’s northern riverside district.
Among the proposal’s highlights: An events-hosting area featuring a stage, enhanced lighting to support more evening activities, a “refrigerated” concrete track that staff could transform into an ice-skating site in the wintertime, the rebuilding of the district’s 25-year-old splash park, and consolidated parking areas.
“It would be another destination spot to draw people into the downtown district, for a lot of leisure and entertainment activities,” said Selina Harris, community affairs director for Midland.
The $14 million proposal was developed in part as a response to the relocation of the Midland Area Farmers Market, which moved its operations from the downtown district to the parking lot of the Dow Diamond following the devastating May 2020 flood, Harris said.
The loss of the market created a vacuum of commerce in the downtown riverfront district, which includes a lineup of restaurants, stores, The H Hotel and the community’s iconic three-legged “Tridge” footbridge, she said.
After distributing a community survey last summer that collected ideas from nearly 400 responders, an 11-member steering committee — featuring community members and city staff alike — and a Grand Haven-based architectural firm, PM Blough Inc., authored the $14 million proposal for the northern riverfront area. The targeted district stretches between the bridges on M-20 and Poseyville.
“Without the farmers market there, it’s a very low-activity area, so we hope this would draw a lot of people there,” Harris said.
The Midland Downtown Development Authority approved the plan during a Wednesday, March 8, meeting. The next step: The Midland Parks and Recreation Commission in May will review the proposal, and if approved there, forward the draft to the Midland City Council later that month for a final vote, Harris said.
The success of a campaign seeking financing likely would determine the pace of the development, Harris said. Funding sources could include the Midland Downtown Development Authority fund balance, philanthropic support, and grant dollars, she said.
No timetable exists yet for when crews could complete such a project.
“Probably closer to the time when we get final approval from (Midland) City Council, we should have a better idea of what our funding plan is going to be,” Harris said. “That will really drive the construction process. If we’re able to collect a major amount of funding earlier, then it could be a shorter timeframe.”
Harris said, while the proposal was made public less than one week ago, she already has heard positive responses from the community.
“From what I can tell online, people are very excited about it,” she said. “They feel like it’s time for this riverfront area to be looked at. It’s a great opportunity.”
The proposal addresses some of the community’s top wishes for the riverfront district, she said, including amenities that support around-the-year events as well as after-dark commerce. The track that can transform into an ice-skating “loop” would generate more activity downtown during wintertime. And the added lighting fixtures would better accommodate after-hours events there.
“The lighting was really a key emphasis that we heard from the community — and that we agree with,” Harris said. “In order to utilize this space more in the dark, winter months, it really needs to be lit.”
The proposed parking plan would serve purposes both practical and aesthetic.
“If you come to our downtown right now, much of our really scenic space is eaten up by concrete parking lots,” Harris said. “What this plan does is: Consolidates all those parking areas into three different key areas close to the riverfront area but not on the riverfront as it exists now.”
She said the proposal was designed to boost the activities still hosted within the district, including the annual “Tunes by the Tridge” summertime concert series.
“What we would see, as part of this redesign, is a more formalized stage area with open-lawn seating and an area to support food trucks,” Harris said. “There are lots of really cool elements that we heard from the community and tried to incorporate into this design.”
The proposal also would replace the existing pavilion that once hosted the Midland Area Farmers Market with a structure that serves as “an homage” to the familiar sight, she said.
“After many years of flooding, that (existing) structure is not as stable as it should be,” Harris said of the O-shaped, green pavilion. “So, we would build a similar-shaped structure that will be kind of a nod to the iconic farmers market structure that’s there today.”
Midland’s municipal website provides background on the project at cityofmidlandmi.gov/1909/Downtown-Riverfront-Redevelopment. Harris said she hopes soon to upload to the webpage details and drawings outlining the $14 million riverfront proposal.
Read more on MLive:
Saginaw theater producing Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘Sweat’
Saginaw Township dog park to stay open late for ‘winter romp’ event Wednesday
In Memorial Cup bid, Saginaw scores momentum for multimillion dollar projects