Midland, Michigan

7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 infrastructure. About five years ago the city’s downtown underwent an $8-million redevelopment that included new zero-barrier sidewalks, roads, curbs, and updated business faces. The redevelopment allowed the city to expand its festivals and activities and encouraged people to get downtown to shop and explore. “Our downtown really is exciting,” Stamas says. “The city is really innovative. They close off several blocks in the summer and into the fall so the businesses can kind of expand. A lot of them have built out different game areas for kids. You can walk up and down the street through the social district and hear live entertainment. It makes for a wonderful setting.” Midland is also focused on improving its riverfront. The city is located in a river valley at the confluence of the Tittabawassee and the Chippewa Rivers, and when it rains, the water can rise to flooding levels. In May 2020, the unthinkable happened when both the Sanford and Edenville Dams failed, causing mass flooding in the city. More than 10,000 people were evacuated. “We have a lot of different initiatives going on right now that are looking at how to prevent, or at least lessen the impacts of flooding,” Kaye reports. “We’re looking at the infrastructure within the city and we have just initiated a $50-million project to work on improving the storm and sanitary sewers to hopefully prevent basement backups.” Through the County of Midland, a Four Lakes Task Force is working to replace the failed dams and restore the lakes that sit behind them. Despite the challenges the rivers place on Midland, they are also an asset. The riverfront offers beautiful views, and the “Tridge”– a three- legged bridge that crosses both rivers – has become a tourist draw. The city has plans to invest further into its riverfront to make it even