Midland City Council hears preliminary information, cost of downtown entertainment district

The concept of entertainment districts is not set in stone. Midland City Council is reviewing information at this time. An area surrounding Centennial Park and the Bush Convention Center was shown on Tuesday as a concept presented to them by city staff ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting. The boundary is usually to Illinois Avenue to the north, Big Spring Street to the west, Baird Street to the east, and Missouri Street to the south.

The entertainment district overlay map includes the Doubletree Hilton Midland Plaza, Basin PBS, Wall Street Bar and Grill, Cancun Grill, Pi Social, Wall Street’s Micromarket, and the Yucca Theater where Summer Mummers is located.

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City staff told the council the area was smaller than some might like, but also “more manageable”. The presentation also includes a slideshow about new land uses, including interactive art, outdoor restaurants, pop-up shops and small parks, which are sidewalk extensions that provide more space and amenities for people using the street.

The creation of the entertainment district will allow those existing businesses (such as bars, nightclubs, restaurants, wineries and lounges) and those wishing to host events in the city centre (such as festivals) not to apply for specific use designation.

City leaders heard about key design elements such as improved alleyways, increased lighting, signage, “attractive street furniture,” landscaping and bollards, which are used to create a perimeter around an area.

They also heard about opportunities for street redesign, such as curbless streets, markedly striped crosswalks, lower speed limits, narrower lane widths, wider sidewalks, trees and lighting that illuminates all walkable spaces.

Part of the presentation also included a possible redesign of Texas Avenue from Big Spring East to Main Street. One such option includes reducing travel lanes. A similar change took place on Wall Street east of Big Spring a few years ago.

City staff added that the entertainment district’s original estimated cost of $838,000 could include $750,000 for the redevelopment of Texas Avenue, $70,000 for permanent bollards on Wall Street, $20,000 for signage, $20,000 for $48,000 for dumpsters and $48,000 for vehicle repairs.

Annual operating expenses of $514,977 include $100,000 in insurance, $156,000 in security, $86,546 in maintenance personnel, $79,917 in parking enforcement officers and $92,514 in downtown coordinator fees.

No decision has yet been made on the source of revenue or whether businesses in the entertainment district will be assessed to help pay for improvements.