In an interview with Midland Times, Ian Denholm reveals his inspiration and vision behind The Preserve – a 173-acre development coming to Midland that will focus on sustainability and innovative design. From green spaces and outdoor trails to dining, retail, and entertainment, Denholm discusses his motivations and the future impact of the project.
MT: Tell us about your background and education.
I grew up in El Paso and graduated from El Paso Franklin High School. I went to college at Texas Tech and graduated with my accounting degree--I’m an accountant by trade. After spending some time in the DFW Metroplex, I moved to Midland in 2011 where I met my wife in Midland, and we settled down here before having our children. I started working at a start-up drilling company out of Odessa that subsequently sold to a Midland based oilfield services company. It wasn’t long before I caught the entrepreneurial bug and invested in various start-ups including co-founding Dahlia.
MT: What was the initial spark that led you to participate in developing The Preserve?
One of the partner’s father mentioned the property to us and we had always seen it listed on and off without a very good intended use for it, but we certainly knew that Midland had a need for more outdoor space, more things for kids to do, more restaurant concepts with patios, more playscapes, and things like that.
We had a few opportunities including one to potentially work with a private school in Midland on brand new sports facilities location; however, that eventually shifted to Zoo Midland once we found out that the zoo’s non-profit was starting and beginning to acquire land. We came to a successful deal with Zoo Midland which allowed us to expand and develop the vision of the outdoor space and the concepts that would support young families in Midland.
MT: Were there any particular experiences or moments that influenced your vision for The Preserve?
One of our inspirations was definitely Allen Ridge in Abilene, which was mentioned to us by the Moriah real estate group. We really liked the concept, but we wanted to create an expanded version where you can fish, enjoy hike-and-bike trails, and more. We knew we had the green space and acreage to do something very special for Midland.
We hired the same architectural firm that designed Allen Ridge. They have completed huge renovations of golf courses in various cities and states, whether for mixed use or residential, so they have pretty good experience in taking a big site and turning it into something that really brought our dreams and visions to life.
MT: Describe the journey of turning The Preserve from a concept into reality.
The planning process always takes longer than you think--you have design iterations and cuts. Sometimes you might have a vision for something, but once it is in front of you on paper, you may want to pivot or make changes. The first iteration of this came around last spring, but where it has evolved to today took approximately 18 months. The design and planning began in 2023 and through that time, we worked with the civils, architects, and engineers to make sure we could bring our plan to life. We had to be prepared for changes. Not everything works when it comes to drainage and runoff or having to reshape ponds--it is just an iterative process. On a project of this scale, we needed to check a lot of boxes and ensure that we were not only executing our vision but also taking care of any potential impact or issues that could arise.
We are sensitive to what I call local impact, whether that's meeting drainage needs or assessing what could potentially impact our neighbors. There are pains when it comes to construction, but we always do our best to limit those pains and keep it as smooth and manageable as possible.
We have finished the planning and designing phases and are pretty much signed off. We feel good about the design; now the next steps are construction and execution. In terms of groundbreaking, Zoo Midland will do a separate groundbreaking. Collectively, with the zoo as our partner, we will be breaking ground on the massive site, which will include roads and utilities to get to the zoo and such.
MT: How do you see The Preserve developing over the next 10-15 years?
If you fast forward 10-15 years, I see Midland families using The Preserve as a gathering spot for anything ranging from birthdays to Quinceañeras. We hope that The Preserve will be fully built out and that all 173 acres will be utilized, whether as green space or development that benefit families. We want to create something special for this city as a way to give back to the community.
Between property tax, sales tax, and a significant amount of employment, The Preserve will have a tremendous positive economic impact on our city.
MT: Reflecting on this project, what has been the most fulfilling aspect of creating The Preserve?
I have three children under the age of 6, so the most fulfilling part of this is spending countless hours designing where the retail and food-and-beverage patio space will be and where children can play. Every view and every shot, we think about where the children can play safely while the parents can enjoy the patio. As a parent, you want your child to be able to play and be in view in a safe manner, so it has been near and dear to me to think of how my children will react in these common areas and how we can make it fun for my kids and other children to play at The Preserve.