A 173-acre mixed-use development planned on the former Nueva Vista Golf Club property in Midland is being designed to combine restaurants, retail and offices with public trails, park space and a waterfront boardwalk.
The Preserve at Midland is planned to include 110,000 square feet of food and beverage space, 106,700 square feet of commercial space and 119,200 square feet of retail and office opportunities, according to information released by the development.
Developers say significant portions of the property will remain green or open space, with the project positioned away from neighboring residential areas. Plans call for expanding an existing pond and incorporating native grasses and other vegetation intended to provide habitat and help reduce heat across the site.
More than 2 miles of public trails are planned around the property’s perimeter and through the development, connecting restaurants and retail areas with a central gathering space. Pedestrian and emergency-only connections are planned between the trail network and neighboring Grassland Estates areas.
A waterfront boardwalk is expected to connect the development’s central restaurant and retail district with a one-acre area known as the Central Green.
Developers envision the Central Green as a community gathering place capable of hosting farmers markets, live music, outdoor movies and other events. Plans also include designated locations for weekend food trucks.
The development’s plans call for buffers between commercial areas and surrounding neighborhoods. According to The Preserve, the minimum buffer along portions of Grassland Estates West would be about 220 feet, while some homes east of the development would be separated from the project by more than 900 feet.
Those areas are expected to include landscaping berms, trees and natural grasses intended to preserve views and mitigate noise. Developers also said they are exploring a potential partnership with the city of Midland to improve Grasslands Park and connect it with The Preserve’s trail and green-space network.
Primary vehicle access would be from the West Wadley Avenue extension north of the property, directing regular development traffic away from the Grassland Estates neighborhoods. Other access points would be restricted to emergency vehicles, according to the project’s plans.
The Preserve’s developers are marketing the project as a walkable community destination built around dining, shopping, recreation and outdoor gathering spaces. Conceptual renderings released by the development show buildings clustered around the pond and central green areas, with substantial portions of the property remaining landscaped or undeveloped.
The developers said the renderings and plans remain conceptual and could change as the project progresses.
