The Midland Development Corporation (MDC) heard two additional proposals last week for the completion of the city’s downtown master plan, NewsWest 9 reported. The presentations were hosted by Halff and Parkhill Smith and Cooper.
A specific timeline has not yet been set for board members to select a proposal, according to MDC Executive Director Sara Harris.
The first to carry out the presentation were the members of Halff’s team who have committed to collaborating with Midland Development Corp. on a downtown development plan. During the presentation, they asked MDC board officials what they would “like to achieve through the process.”
The company has contributed to several projects which company representatives called downtown activation projects but “Downtown Midland is different,” said Jim Carrillo, vice president of the company.
The session was followed by Kimely-Horn’s presentation. The master plan is the first of its kind to be set in place for Downtown Midland over a long period of time.
"The last downtown master plan that Midland had is from 2007," Harris said. "So it's past time for us to have a new plan and look at where we are in comparison to our opportunities now."
"Regardless of which firm is selected, there will be town halls, multiple opportunities for community and stakeholder input both in person and online," Harris said.
Some of the input noted the need for more entertainment and “a nice hotel,” highlighting the need for non-traditional space in the downtown area, where the majority of establishments are businesses.