Midland is a town with many strengths, including a rich history, a robust culture, a well-defined historical main street, recreational amenities, a strong employment base and an idyllic setting on Georgian Bay. With so many natural and community assets, residents of Midland enjoy a high quality of life. Significant investments in recent years, notably construction of the popular Midland Cultural Centre and expansion of the Midland Public Library, have reinforced both downtown as a destination and the larger community as a great place to live.

Recognizing the need to establish a long-term vision and a plan to guide downtown improvements, the Town of Midland retained Urban Strategies to lead a team of consultants and work with town staff, community leaders, and residents to prepare a strategic master plan that builds on downtown’s many assets and identifies the improvements needed to maximize downtown’s potential as a place to live, enjoy and prosper.

The final document, completed in summer of 2015, identifies a broad set of goals for downtown and provides guidelines for both private development and public investment. It also identifies key initiatives to be pursued over the next 20 years, including “priority projects” for the next 2-5 years including the redesign of the Downtown’s waterfront which will improve connections, create more space for gathering and recreation, and introduce small-scale amenities to complement the waterfronts active marinas.

Midland Downtown Master Plan

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