By Michael Piwowarski
MIDLAND – “As I reflect on this past decade and I think about the new, I am filled with gratitude.”
Maureen Donker, mayor of Midland, opened her annual State of the City address Wednesday, March 11 with not only gratitude, but also optimism.
Donker, who also represents Ward 2 on the Midland city council, delivered her address at the Great Hall Banquet and Convention Center on Bay City Road.
“We have the right people in the arena.”
The opening theme for Donker’s address was a 1910 speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, where the U.S. president said:
“It is not the critic who counts. […] The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming.”
Donker likened this sentiment with those serving Midland as elected officials as well as employees and citizens.
“We have the right people in the arena,” said Donker. “Good people. People who care deeply about our success and want us to grow and be better tomorrow than we are today.”
The city’s past accomplishments were also shared in Donker’s address, including the swearing in of Midland’s first female police chief Nicole Ford, the ongoing project to construct a baseball field for those with disabilities, and several improvements to park facilities.
New businesses come to town
In addition, Donker touched on two future businesses coming to Bay City road next to Valley Plaza: Costco and Savant Labs. Costco received final building approval from the city council in December, although there was no exact construction timeline yet, as reported by Midland Daily News.
“[Costco is] certainly going to have a change in this part of the community,” Donker said. “We at the city […] approved the site plan in December, so right now they’re in the final stages of just wrapping things up.”
Redevelopments to revitalize Center City
Donker also looked at recent developments at the Center City area, situated along S. Saginaw Road between Manor Drive and Patrick Road. The city recently received a $1 million grant from Dow to kick-start a major redevelopment project in that area, which was adopted by the city council in August.
The mayor also acknowledged the recent loss of businesses in that area, including Kmart which closed back in December, and Save-A-Lot which is closing its doors in March.
“[The area is] ripe for redevelopment and we think the time is right now,” said Donker.
The redevelopment plan comes in two phases: the first is to construct a new streetscape on Saginaw Road, running from Patrick to Dartmouth. Donker said the city hopes to begin this phase in 2021, with additional funds.
The second phase revolved around the Ashman Circle and its surrounding area, from Dartmouth to Manor.
“This project is gonna be a ways down the road, because we need to have more conversations about it and really re-evaluate the circle to determine a future that’s gonna best serve its businesses, their customers and the travelers that go through this area,” Donker said.
Downtown Midland continues to advance
Concerning the downtown business district, Donker summarized the results of a recent parking study, which showed that there is a surplus of parking, “just not in the most convenient places.”
“We are going to focus on how to maximize those convenient [parking] spaces,” Donker said. “This means you’re going to be seeing some new signage and communications on where to park, and we’re also going to have improved parking enforcement, to ensure that customers and visitors can access the most convenient sites.”
The mayor also spotlighted 10 new downtown businesses which opened last year, and the groundbreaking of Delta College’s new Midland learning center, which is slated to open in January 2021.
“I have been around, and I see how hard we’re working,” said Donker. “We’re a community with vision. 2019 was an incredible year, and I think 2020 is going to be the same.”
The mayor’s full speech was uploaded to the City of Midland’s official YouTube channel and can be viewed here.
