[corydreinhardt]

Hello! I'm the mayor of Midland, Iowa as well as the county commissioner. First of all, I would like to say welcome to Midland County, Iowa. Midland County is a fairly rural county with the character of small hometown USA. Midland is the county seat of the county as well as the regional city for Central Iowa. Believe it or not, there is no river or body of water near Midland County, with the Mississippi River being about 200 miles east of us. The city of Midland has a population of about 17,700. It has grown steadily over the past couple of years after three decades of decline due to manufacturing. Midland has suffered just like any other city, however, the city has thrived in the past couple of years due to it's ambitious plan of demolishing old structures and making way for parks and green space. This has opened up development in the city core, particularly around the downtown area. If you have questions about our city, please feel free to ask. I plan on my Mayor's Diary to focus on each particular part of Midland, therefore you will not get lost into this Midwestern gem. Each update will consist of a section of the city, bringing lots of pictures and close-ups of my city. I have nearly 20 years in city planning so Midland has a great layout that makes the residents happy to live here. There are a few bottlenecks in the city, but we will get to that later.

Update 1: Downtown Midland

Hello guests! Welcome to Downtown Midland. As the Mayor of Midland, I take great pride in our downtown. Due to our promoting and investing tax dollars into the city core, we have brought a great batch of storefronts to the area. Even some regional chains have set-up shop here, which is rare for the Midwest. Our downtown boasts a 93% occupancy rate, which is above the national average of 74%. Want some ice cream from the local parlor, your meat sliced at Al's Meats, or maybe the local laundry-mat, well you are in the right spot of Midland. 75% of our storefronts are locally or independently owned. The downtown historic district is the immediate four areas adjacent to the Midland County Courthouse. Downtown Midland is also home to the Midland High School, Midland Middle School, Midland Community Park, Midland Community College, Midland Police Department, Midland Fire Department, Midland Opera House, Midland Public Library (Main Branch), and the Midland Medical Park which contains Midland Community Hospital. Alas, enough of me talking. Now some pictures!

It wouldn't be appropriate without showing you an overall picture of Downtown Midland. For close-ups, please scroll down.

As you can see, Downtown Midland is served by 4 roadways. However, don't be fooled, they are both 2-lane one-way streets. This helps traffic flow. However, there has been recent discussion on whether or not to transition back to normal roadways because the downtown storefronts will get slower traffic. However, nothing has came to fruition, YET!

As far as roadways, the major north-south arterial road is Main Street (US 41) and Midland Street. The major west-east thoroughfare are Jefferson Street (SR 19) and Washington Street. As soon as the road transitions back to an avenue in the outskirts of town, it becomes Main Street and Washington, respectively.

1.1


Here is an image Downtown Midland - Central Square with the Midland County Courthouse as the forefront of the image.

1.2


A close-up, with the locally owned stores on the other side of the streets.

1.3


Midland Fire Department Headquarters (Station 001) and the Midland Police Department Headquarters. The Midland Fire Department consists of five stations scattered throughout the city. I will show you those in another update. To the south of the image is also the Midland Public Library (main branch) as well as the Midland Opera House. They share a parking lot (which the city owns, I might add).

1.4


Here is the Midland Medical Park. It is home to the Midland Community Hospital as well as other health services such as dentistry's, doctor's offices, and Midland Home Medical. There are plans in the works to add a Cancer Center to the hospital, but that is at least two years way from planning stages.

1.5


This is Midland Community College, which serves as a city college for the residents of Midland and Midland County. However, Ivy Tech Community College, which set-up shop in the city a few years ago, has taken the enrollment down at Midland CC by about 25%. There are plans to renovate the campus and make it more pedestrian friendly. But where are they going to get all the funding?!?!?

1.6


Here is Midland Middle School, built in 1956. It is old, but has undergone extensive renovations in the interior. This is the old Midland High School. Today, there are about 800 students who attend Midland Middle School. It is at near capacity, and Midland Community Schools is opening up the possibility of building a second middle school. We shall see.

1.7


Midland High School and it's athletic facilities. It was built in 1977. Midland High Schools has a current enrollment of 1,197 students. It is a large high school, but nothing out of the ordinary (maybe for Iowa). It is only at 80% occupancy, so there is room to grow. Residents do complain though that two major roadways run parallel to the school. Oh well! There could be worse things....

1.8


And at last, Midland Community Park. Voted one of the best 5 parks in the State of Iowa. This is the old Keystone Auto Manufacturing Plant which was turned into green space. In the last 20 years, the city has built 4 baseball/softball fields, 2 soccer fields, and numerous tennis courts. Of course, there is a pond as well. This could also be home to the future Midland Flower Garden. To be determined... The Midland Historic neighborhood is also the north of that. You can see some homes along Park Street but that is just a teaser for now.

1.9


Well that is all for now. Let me know what you think and what I can improve upon. I look forward to showcasing the Midland Industrial Park next week, and then the residential neighborhood areas. I still have commercial corridors and other areas of the city that deserve their own respect, so this will be following. Obviously, updates will increase to tell you about special road projects, new commercial, industrial, and residential development, as well as anything else that might come up. Thank you for visiting Update 1: Downtown Midland.

[RickD]

What a great start! I loved reading the text. This is my favorite style of MD.

But please let me add a few technical suggestions about the pictures:

- minimize the menu when taking a screenshot
- and switch the UDI icons off
- also there is a mod available that removes the yellow pause frame. It is called "yellow pause thingy remover" If I remember correctly
- numbering your pictures makes commenting on them easier

Anyway, I am looking forward to the next update.

[corydreinhardt]

Raphael, Thanks for the pointers! I'm always open to suggestions, and I really like those because those will make the pics stand out more. I checked your Empire Bay. Completely different than mine but nonetheless, fascinating

[rooker1]

Very nice start.
When making replies, please include them in your next update as movement throught the MD sections is based on post count.  And please make yourself familiar with the MD section rules, found HERE.
I look forwqard to seeing more work from you.

Robin

[corydreinhardt]

Post Replies:

1) RickD: I'm on top of it. I was thinking of ways to improve the pictures to look like the rest of the Mayor's Dairies, but to no avail. So thanks for the insight.

2) Rooker1: Definitely understandable. I suppose I should have looked at the rules prior to posting my first entry. Nonetheless, I have read the rules. I do have a question as far as the real world events. Can I include names of companies in my city that actually are real? This just helps to strengthen my city by making it appear as realistic as possible. Thanks.

**ALSO** I forgot to turn the USI indicators off in these pictures below. Sorry for that. Try to ignore them and in the next update, they will be off. Trust me!!!

Update 2: Industrial Areas of Midland

It is time to show you where the residents of Midland work. Midland, Iowa is heavily based off of manufacturing--more specifically the manufacturing of recreational vehicles (RVs) and specialty trucks. In addition, the community has plenty of suppliers to this industry as well. This is a BIG business that requires large manufacturing plants as well as plenty of workers. Nearly 60% of Midland County residents work in a truck or RV related factory. In fact, if it wasn't for many of these companies, Midland would probably not exist. Employers that have plants in Midland include (in no specific order) Keystone RV Company, Utilimaster Corporation, Heartland RV, Kinro Inc., Midwestern Electronics, Kidd-Price Products, Dometic Enterprises, Norfolk Southern, Midwest Trucking Co., Hamman Freight, and Advanced Metals LLC. Oh, how could I forget!!! Amazon Corporation just opened up their first distribution center in the state of Iowa. It did cost the taxpayers a pretty penny though. However, with the promise of over 1,050 jobs by 2015, who could turn that down? Midland beat out competition from neighboring Des Moines and Sioux Falls. It even managed to beat out Minneapolis. Wow, one local win for the small guys

And a teaser folks, before I show you the pictures. Who can guess which one of these companies has nearly 2,600 employees and 19 buildings? This company also has their Corporate Headquarters located in the city (obvious from the pictures where they invest their money in). There is even talk of an expansion into the Midland Industrial Park, but we shall see if they choose other existing sites in another state. I hear another tax break coming.....

Now let me show each of my industrial buildings. Midland has a 97% occupancy rate of manufacturing facilities. Yes, that is truly remarkable. It was just 73% last year, but that was because Keystone RV mothballed 7 manufacturing plants three years ago and has since reopened all but one. Yet, their talking about building a new plant?!? We will never understand those guys at Keystone, as corporate greed sometimes gets the best of them. Why build when you have capacity??? BECAUSE who doesn't want a brand new building?... ha ha ha (Mayor is not laughing...)

I must say that nearly all of the industrial areas are to the west of the city, located in the Midland Industrial Park. Here is an image of the city of Midland, with the Midland Industrial Park (as indicated within the red boundary). It does include the Midland Regional Airport as well.

2.1.1 & 2.1.2


Close-up View


And now, behold, the company that boasts an extraordinary portfolio in Midland, Iowa. We might as well name the city after this company. Welcome to Keystone RV Company. The company employs 2,600 employees with talks of an expansion of nearly 200 jobs and another plant. That will be presented at one of the next city meetings. Keystone RV Company is comprised of 19 manufacturing plants, 3 corporate buildings on their magnificent headquarters, and access to the Norfolk Southern railroad line. To put this into perspective, if Keystone RV decided to leave town, the unemployment rate would skyrocket to nearly 15-20%. As mayor of Midland, I make it my obligation to keep in good contact with them. Let's show you, folks, the Keystone RV Company campus.

2.2


As indicated in the red borders, this is the expansive Keystone RV complex. To the east is the Norfolk Southern railway, the the south is Buckner Road, to the west is Holland Road, and to the north is Washington Street.

2.3


Above you is the corporate headquarters, which is definitely well-kept. This houses all the 'business people' as well as the Human Resources Department (they even have their own building) as well as the Call Center.

2.4


This is the northern section of the Keystone RV manufacturing facilities (Plants 1-9).

2.5


This is the southern section of the Keystone RV manufacturing facilities (Plants 10-19).

Next on the list is Utilimaster Corporation, which has their own little complex. They are in the specialty truck manufacturing business. The complex consists of 10 plants and over 800 employees. This is the oldest specialty truck company in the United States. As you can see from the picture below, they have to have plenty of space to store all of the trucks that they manufacture.

2.6


Next on the list (below) of employers is Heartland RV. This company has been known for shady hiring practices (not too mention the fact that their employees make only 9-10$ per hour. During the last employment count, it was between 500-600 employees. Rumors have been going around for months though that they have major financial problems. We are optimistic that they can recover, but we aren't holding our breath. Regardless, Heartland RV is comprised of 5 manufacturing plants, as well as the corporate headquarters located to the left. They are also leasing space downtown, which I guess is a good sign?!?!?

2.7


This is the newest part of the Midland Industrial Park below. At the very top is the Midland Regional Airport, than below that is the Norfolk Southern freight yard. In addition, bordered in:

Green --->        Midwest Trucking Co. (221 employees)
Black --->         Norfolk Southern Freight (370 employees)
Yellow --->       Hamman Freight (305 employees)
Red --->           Amazon Corporation (375 employees) with hopes of 1,050 by 2015.

2.8


Below is the Midland Regional Airport, bordered by SR 19 (Washington Street) to the north. This is a regional airport that does not receive much funding from the city or much use from the residents. We like to stay at home It does receive frequent visits from private pilots in the area though.

2.9


My next image showcases numerous manufacturing plants in the Midland Industrial Park. The city recently paved the new diagonal streets with access to Buckner Road (diagonal road near the airport). This paves the way for future expansion as needed. It is very expensive land, however. Just a few of the companies located in this area are mainly suppliers to the RV industry and specialty trucks. Kinro Manufacturing, Kidd-Price Products, and Dometic Enterprises, just to name a few. Non-RV related include Midwestern Electronics and AEP-NorthCentral Iowa. Yes, that is it for non-RV related. There have been numerous talks of dipping our feet into other industries, but for some reason North Central Iowa doesn't seem to appealing. I wonder why??? 

2.10


I forgot to mention the Midland County Correctional Facility, located just south of the railroad tracks.

2.11


To conclude this update, I would be remiss not to mention the Eastside Industrial Park. It is located on the far eastern side of the city of Midland. It is small and was developed in 2008. However, it is home to Thor Motor Coach, which has 350 employees. Pretty impressive considering this company was created in 2005 in a 1,200 square foot garage. Just six years later (The owner does have ties to Keystone RV, however). In addition, there is a stand-alone company, called GeoThermol Solutions. We do not know much about them, other than fact that they employ nearly 25 people. We love small business here in Midland too! 

2.12


In the next update, I will have information regarding the residential areas of the city as well as the outlying suburbs (Ok, well this city is 17,000. Not exactly suburbs, but you get the point). Hehehe. Hope you enjoyed this update! Please let me know what you liked or enjoyed, what you think I could improve upon, or recommendations. Thanks and have a great week. I hope to get some ideas from other Mayor's Diaries as well.

[rooker1]

Another nice update.

Yes, you can use real world names but just stay away from real life events surrounding the company.  Everything needs to stay fictional and PG rated...this way no one will be offended.

Robin

[corydreinhardt]

Update 3: Residential Areas of Midland

Hello. I'm very excited, as mayor of Midland, to introduce to you the residential areas of Midland and the surrounding areas. Back in 1999, we initiated a neighborhood development program aimed at diversifying our neighborhoods, tearing down abandoned homes, creating a fabric-work, so to speak, within our own individual neighborhoods. Not only it has strengthened our neighborhoods, but it has ever exceeded our expectations. Whether it has been community-based events, establishing focal points and parks for each neighborhood, or bonding between others, it has no doubt made a difference for our residents. It has even ranked us #68 on Forbes list of "Best Small Cities to Raise a Family." We like to think this will help us prosper and grow in the next couple of decades.

The first images will show you the four quadrants of neighborhoods directly surrounding the downtown. The street grid system is basic of most towns in the Midwest. The first four neighborhoods are the Southwest Neighborhood, Northwest Neighborhood, Northeast Neighborhood, and Southeast Neighborhood. You will notice the different levels of social class standing.

Southwest Neighborhood

Welcome to the Southwest Neighborhood of Midland. While the city does not operate a park within this neighborhood, the residents use the amenities that Washington Elementary provides. Washington Elementary is the focal point of the neighborhood, and it is part of the Midland Community School District. As you can see from the image, this neighborhood is next to the Keystone RV manufacturing facility, as well as the Norfolk Southern Railroad Line. Midland High School is across the busy one-way road. This does happen to be the poorest of the four neighborhoods as well as home to many blue collar workers. It is a decent neighborhood though, with well-kept homes for the most part. Also, on the far corner of the neighborhood you can see that St. John's Catholic School and Church. An alternative education for residents of the Catholic faith. However, this is just a K-8 school.

3.1.1

3.1.2

3.1.3


Northwest Neighborhood of Midland

Welcome to the Northwest Neighborhood of Midland. This is home to Railroad Park (ironic, huh  ), one of Midland's numerous parks. This is home to residents of lower-middle households incomes, and a few higher incomes as scattered around as well. This has great access to retail, as many residents walk on the city sidewalks rather than drive cars. With gas near $4.30 in Midland, Midland has made it a priority to invest in the city sidewalks.

3.2.1

3.2.2

3.2.3


Northeast Neighborhood of Midland

The northeast neighborhood is part of the historic district of Midland. Beautiful tree-lined roads with well-kept homes that belong to many middle-class families as well as a few upper class. Homes for sale in this area go for about $200,000 (a lot for the Midwest). Spacious yards and access to the Midland Community Park as well as retail areas along SR 19 make this one of the most desirable places in Midland. In addition, Midland Mennonite College is located here, which has about 950 students, many of whom are of the Mennonite faith. Also, a close-up view will show Midland Elementary School, part of the Midland Community School District.

3.3.1

3.3.2

3.3.3


Southeast Neighborhood of Midland

The Southeast Neighborhood of Midland is also part of the Midland Historical District. The focal point of the community is the Midland Country Club, a members-only golf course. Beautiful and enchanting homes line the streets of this neighborhood. It would be hard-pressed to find a home valued at under 500,000 here, except for the houses along the busy US 41 corridor (by Midland High School). So who exactly lives here? Corporate bosses and employees, Midland business owners, school leaders, government workers, and yours truly. I live in the house that borders the Midland Country Club. 

3.4.1

3.4.2

3.4.3


And now, a look at other surrounding communities in the city of Midland. These are also part of the Neighborhood Association of Midland. Enjoy!

Creekside

3.5.1


Aerial view of the Creekside subdivision. Creekside is on the southern portion of the city. This is one of Midland's newest subdivisions and was developed in 2006. Every lot is filled up and is somewhat of a cookie-cutter subdivision. Residents do enjoy the Creekside Community Park (Midland Parks Dept.) as well as walking distance to retail. Creekside Elementary School was constructed in 2007, with Creekside Community Church in 2009.

3.5.2


Close-up view of the Creekside Subdivision, with Creekside Community Park on the right.

3.5.3


A new light has to be installed at the intersection of SR 19 (Main Street) and Maysville Road to accompany the new traffic that the subdivision spurred up.

Oakwood Estates

3.6.1


Oakwood Estates is an established neighborhood on the city's southeast side, bordering the historic Southeast Neighborhood. Beautiful homes, built in the 1980s and 90s. Very desirable area to live.

Ridgeview

3.6.2


Ridgeview is one of Midland's newest neighborhoods, constructed in 2001. It is also on the city's southeast side, just east of Oakwood Estates. It features homes of lesser value, but still nonetheless, desirable.

Oak Park

3.6.3


Welcome to the Oak Park subdivision. It does have it's own neighborhood park, for residents only though. It is located directly south of the airport on the city's southwest side. Cookie-cutter subdivision that was developed in 2004.

Countryside Estates

3.6.4


Welcome to Countryside Estates, directly south of the airport and due east of the Oak Park neighborhood. Newly constructed homes of this subdivision range from $400,000 - $600,000. It was developed in 2010 and still has some lots left. (I do apologize for the green lots, won't happen again  )

College Park

3.6.5


College Park is basically an extension of the Northeast Neighborhood, bordering Midland Mennonite College on the city's northeast side. Features spacious lots with plenty of forestry.

Edgeview

3.6.6


Welcome to Edgeview, located on the northeast side of Midland. Constructed in 2003, this cookie-cutter subdivision features homes for lower to middle-class residents.

Windsor Oaks Apartment Complex

3.7.1

3.7.2


Windsor Oaks Apartment Complex was developed in 1998 to give an alternative to living in homes. This has appealed to the younger crowd and some students from Midland Mennonite College. It is located on the northern fringe of the city, directly across from the newly constructed Midland Centre Mall. This area is projected to grow by 25% by 2020. Retail areas are popping up steadily in this area along the growing SR 19 corridor. I should mention that there are still two lots for apartments, but those aren't expected to be constructed until next year.

Country/Rural Living

3.8.1


And for those residents who prefer country living, we have that here as well! Spacious yards, the air of cow manure in the pastures, and the sight of the harvest in the Fall makes this desirable for some folks as well.

I hope you enjoyed Update 3: Residential Areas of Midland. Now that I have introduced to you the areas of Midland, I hope that you can find your way around my city. Basically, this is how I would like (ideally) for this Mayor's Diary to work. I would like to keep this interactive in that you guys (people from the forum) would help me develop and plan the city. Basically, I would present ideas to you (such as a planning/development meeting) and have you guys vote, or comment (such as a city meeting) on what would be the best direction for the city. Now remember, this is a small city in north central Iowa. So as for new developments, road projects, etc. keep that fact into consideration. I would like to concentrate on not making this a megalopolis, but rather a unique, small city and county. I will also provide frequent updates into the other cities within the county. They are smaller (as Midland is the county seat of Midland County), but make up the fabric-work of the county. For those of you that understand the county-city and how it works in the United States, this will make sense to you. Thank you and let me know what you guys think. Until then, I look to have another update showing other communities within the great county of Midland.

Also, I wanted to mention that city of Midland is located directly in the center of the county of Midland, with towns surrounding the other areas of the county. I hope you like the concept. Let me know what you think??

(Now I better get finished with stuff in real-life, as this update took a little longer than expected. Also, I would like to create a Table of Contents at the top of my forum so that people can feel better organized when viewing this Mayor's Diary. How would I go about doing such a thing? Thank you!)

[corydreinhardt]

Update 4: Locke, Iowa (Midland County)

Hello everyone. I can't wait to show you around the town of Locke, Iowa. In terms of location, Locke is located about 5 miles northwest of Midland. Here is a map to show you. The two towns are connected by US 41, which is a east-west route that travels just south of Locke and into Downtown Midland.

4.1


Now it is time to show the quaint little town of Locke, a sleepy town with residents that mostly commute to Midland for work. There is a small industrial park located off of US 41 in Locke, but there are currently only two businesses. More on that in a little bit. Locke has a population of about 1,987 as of the last census.

4.2

4.3

Aerial views of Locke, Iowa.


4.4

Here you can see the downtown shops of Locke, which recently underwent a streetscape project to make it more pedestrian friendly. The main road that travels through downtown Locke is Dupont Road.

4.5

Everyone is talking about the new luxury car dealership that moved into town this past month. This is big news for the town of Locke. Many people wonder who is going to buy these cars? Locke does have some influential residents who prefer not to live in Midland.

4.6

Older subdivision along Dupont Road in downtown Locke. Features spacious lots and country air!

4.7

West side of Locke and some nice houses that line the street. This side of town has homes and lots that offer more land, rather than living right next to your neighbor.

4.8

The Locke Industrial Park, which is home to Supreme Industries, another manufacturer of specialty trucks. Employs around 300.

4.9

Not everybody can have spacious lots. Just ask the residents of the Fairhaven Trailer Park.

4.10

An image showcasing the newly renovated Locke Elementary School as well as the Locke Community Park. Locke Elementary School feeds into the Midland Community School District. The students attend Midland Middle and High School as a result. Also, the Locke Fire Department.

4.11

Mayor of Locke's home, in the secluded forests outside of town. Another wealthy businessman lives a few trees down

4.12

A suburban feel, these homes are in the countryside about halfway between Midland and Locke.

4.13

About a mile outside of Locke, there are plenty of wealthy folks who prefer the rural lifestyle. You can't blame them, right?

4.14

The junction of US 41 and Dupont Road, about a 1/2 mile outside of downtown Locke. A light had to be installed because of the commuters from Locke to Midland. Some new commercial development has taken advantage of a moderately traveled road.

4.15

4.16

4.17

This subdivision is called Weaver Woods, about a mile south of Locke, Iowa. Beautiful homes in this secluded neighborhood. Believe it or not, these homes were built in the 1970s.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my MD. Please feel free to leave a comment Let me know what you think!

[nbvc]

Nice small town.

[RickD]

I really like how this is turning out (despite you are mainly using Maxis content  ). But you still manage to convey the realism of a midwestern US town. At least what I can tell from my Google Earth experience, I've never been there.

[corydreinhardt]

Post Replies:

1) RickD: Thanks for the kind words about how the region is developing. I have spent plenty of hours developing intertwining cities within regions, but this one is probably my best, at least so far. I think you will like this next update too, as it introduces another city

2) nbvc: Thank you!

Update 5: Duluth, Iowa

Hello followers! I hope you have taken the time to view my previous four updates, which have introduced Midland, Iowa (pop. 18,868) as well as Locke, Iowa (pop. 1,789). My next city is located eleven miles south of Midland and is called Duluth.

The town of Duluth, Iowa is fortunate to be located next to a body of water, yes a body of water in Iowa!! Duluth Lake is located about 1 mile from the center of the town, and is a recreational hotspot for the region, providing residents access to water and recreation from neighboring cities in the county as well as the state of Iowa. Many of the homes located on the lake are 'summer homes,' but some have permanent residence there all year long. But first, let's not forget about the town of Duluth, which deserve it's share fair of respect as well. The town has thrived in recent decades and has grown significantly since 1970. In fact, the population was a mere 1,650 in 1970, and currently the town's estimated census is approximately at 9,000. While the town is beautiful, the town of Duluth has not made significant upgrades to the transportation network, therefore, causing headaches for some drivers. Plans are in the works though, for 2016. Now for some of the pictures!

Welcome to Duluth, Iowa!

5.1

Aerial view of the region, as of now. Midland is the largest city, Locke being the small rural town, and Duluth; the 'town by the lake.' if you will.

5.2

Aerial shot of Duluth, Iowa. You can see much of the growth has occurred near the lake.

5.3

Another close-up aerial shot of Duluth, Iowa. This is more of the downtown area and the older homes in the area.

5.4

Downtown Duluth. Small, quaint downtown with shops lining SR 19 (Main Street). It is unfortunate that there has to be railroad tracks near the downtown, but this is how the city was designed in the 1800s. Regardless, that hasn't stopped Duluth from being named the 97th best small downtown in the nation in Forbes Magazine.

5.5

Duluth Industrial Park - South. As you can see, some older industrial factories dating back to the 1910s.

5.6

Duluth Industrial Park - North. A mix of large, old factories and newer industrial plants. With hardly any more industrial leasing space available in the Duluth Industrial Park, plans are in the works to extend the Duluth Industrial Park northward. This WILL face much opposition from the residents, who complain that traffic is already a nightmare. This should be interesting to watch.

5.7

A look at the large amount of freight traffic for Duluth Street (heading east). A major upgrade is needed if the Duluth Plan Commission wants to extend the industrial park.

5.8

A look at 3:30 PM, when much of the industrial park gets off work. Bottleneck heading into downtown Duluth.

5.9

7:00 AM, when many of the residents are going to work.

5.10

Another image of the rush hour. Some residents complain of a 5 minute drive to work in traffic. I know--5 minutes! Could it get much worse!?!?!?!

5.11

Last picture of rush hour, showing SR 19 heading north to Midland, Iowa (principal city of the region). As you can see, the two lane road does just fine.

5.12

Duluth Jr/Sr High School. This school is a combined middle and high school that serves about 1,350 students. It is at near-capacity and plans are to build a new high school by 2015. This will then turn into the middle school. Plans are also in the works to build another elementary school, if the population continues to grow at a steady rate. Those plans are not set in stone, however. By the way, Duluth, Iowa is served by the Duluth Community Schools, which has two elementary schools and one Jr/Sr High School.

5.13

A few homes located off one of the extended streets in Duluth. Many residents don't even know there are homes back there.

5.14

While the town of Duluth is too small to have individual neighborhoods, this is a close-up view of some of the homes near the downtown. Residents definitely take pride in their town!

5.15

Homes on a cul-de-sac on one of the extended city streets. These are newer homes with spacious yards, but not as high of property values because of the distance from the lake.

Now, for the finer things in life... Duluth, Iowa has an average annual income of nearly 74,000k, which is about 45 percent higher than the state of Iowa's average annual income. People definitely have money in this town, and it shows in the newer neighborhoods surrounding the lake. In fact, hardly in lake property is available, which was not the case about 15 years ago.

A look at the finer things in life...

5.16

Duluth Beach, a recreational and tourist hotspot for the region. Plans are to add retail near this destination, which are to be called the Duluth Beach Shoppes. Residents are very excited about the frozen yogurt shop and upscale eatery that plan to open in 2013.

5.17

Duluth Beach Resort. This resort opened in 2001, amid ridiculous construction costs. Rumor has it that the owner has went into bankruptcy and is looking for buyers. Anybody interested in this piece of property? Regardless, it is still operating at the owner's expense.

5.18

Duluth Lake Marina. This is where the wealthy residents dock their boats, accompanied by the parking lot to the north. This was renovated in 2008.

5.19

5.20

5.21

Beautiful and spacious lots, located in the woods near the lake.


5.22

5.23

Lakeside Country Club. Located south of Duluth Lake, this resort and country club opened in 2010. Some of these homes go for around $1-2 million, which is outrageous for Iowa. Rumor has it that this neighborhood is home to the wealthiest residents in north-central Iowa. If anybody is interested, there a few lots available. Just make sure to bring your checkbook.

Thanks for visiting my Mayor's Diary. This was Update 5: Duluth, Iowa. Please comment and let me know what you think.

Also, question: Anybody have any plans on how to upgrade the intersection of Duluth Street and SR 19 in downtown Duluth? We are in the pre-planning stages and are looking for suggestions. Top priorities are to maintain the historic district and the relocation of the railroad tracks are out of the question, as this proves to be way too expensive.

Have a great week!

[rooker1]

I seemed to have missed some very interesting updates.
To make nicer pics, I suggest you try to minimize your menu before taking pictures.  As well there is a modd that makes the yellow pause frame disappear, called SMP Yellow Pause thingy remover 1 and found HERE.

Robin

[RickD]

Also, question: Anybody have any plans on how to upgrade the intersection of Duluth Street and SR 19 in downtown Duluth?

Hmm. If you can afford to demolish a few buildings, you could add some slip lanes. If you are willing to bulldoze more, then upgrade the road to avenue.
If you do not want to demolish any buildings, I suggest a dual oneway setup with two one way streets running a block apart.
The simplest but probably not very useful improvement would be to just make longer left turn lanes. At least the turning traffic would not back up in the straight/right turn lane.

[corydreinhardt]

Post Replies:

rooker1: Did you see my last couple of updates? I think I did the right thing by making sure there were no yellow pause frames. Also, I have learned since my first update to minimize the menu. Thanks for the reminders.

RickD: Interesting concept. To keep the financial burden down, the city has decided to keep the road two lanes. However, the city did a couple of studies and found that the least financially straining idea was to add longer turn lanes. Construction and planning are taking place and the plan should go into construction mode by the end of the year. The best part, no buildings will have to be demolished. However, there are still likely going to be some traffic issues since the root of the problem isn't going to be fixed, at least this will be a temporary solution

Update 6: Midland, Iowa Road Construction

Hello SC4 followers! Today, I take you back to the satellite city of the region and the county seat of Midland County. Today's update will feature the city of Midland, Iowa and show you some images of a reconstructed roadway. Enjoy!

The construction is occurring on the far east side of Midland, along US 41. The reason for the construction is because of the recent surge in traffic as the current roads are not up to safety standards for the amount of traffic that some of the shops as well as the recently built Autumn Creek Apartment Complex is generating. Numerous accidents have occurred in the past couple of years, which is prompting the city of Midland to upgrade the roadway and intersection as swiftly as possible. Plans call for the reconstruction of Autumn Creek Boulevard to become a two-lane avenue that circles around the apartment complex. In addition, The roundabout will be reconstructed to feature wider lanes and a landscaped center median to be funded by the Autumn Creek apartment complex. Lastly, plans are also in the works to upgrade Eaton Drive from a two-lane street to a three lane roadway with turning lanes. US 41 will also be upgraded to make way for the installation of a traffic signal as well as turning lanes to turn left onto Eaton Drive.

6.1

Here is the area of construction, in relation to the city of Midland, Iowa.

6.2

Here is an aerial view before the construction occurred. This particular area has Ivy Tech Community College as the anchor of the plaza. The Autumn Creek apartments is what is prompting this particular reconstruction, as they have just erected 4 more apartment units in the past year. Traffic was getting to a point that a traffic light had to be installed.

6.3

A close-up view of the roads before the construction begins.

6.4

6.5

The construction took about 6 months to complete, but was well worth the wait. Above shows you the final view.

6.6

The upgrade of US 41 and Eaton Drive. Eaton Drive was expanded from two lanes to three lanes and the installation of turning lanes. US 41 had to expanded to allow for the turning lanes heading left onto Eaton Drive as well as the traffic signal to accommodate the new roadway.

6.7

The new roundabout which features a paved roadway as well as some landscaping in the center, as opposed to the confusing street roundabout that caused frequent traffic accidents. A very nice and cosmetic upgrade for the Autumn Creek apartment residents.

6.8

A little sidenote, but the Autumn Creek apartment complex also added two tennis courts with some additional parking in their complex. A very nice bonus for the residents.

Thank you for visiting Update 6. Please post some comments! Hope you enjoyed it.

[corydreinhardt]

Update 7: Duluth, Iowa & Locke, Iowa (Midland County, Iowa)

Overview of population within the Midland County cities:

Midland -18,899
Duluth - 9,564
Locke - 2,380

Hello and welcome to Update 7. Today, we will be visiting the towns of Duluth, Iowa and Locke, Iowa. First up, Duluth!

7.1

For those of you that may be confused of my county, here is a map detailing the cities and their locations.

Today, Duluth, Iowa recently completed a very vital intersection upgrade. As of yesterday, the town of Duluth only had 1 traffic light in the entire city. For a population nearing 10,000; this is just one of many intersection upgrades for this growing summer tourist town. Now the town has 2 traffic signals, with plans for at least 3 more in the next five years. As we all know, progress takes time however.

7.3

Today we look at the intersection of Duluth Street (west-east) and Erskine Road (north-south). The maps are just like a regular map as far as directions our concerned.

7.4

Farther out view, so you can see the beautiful lake with the Duluth Lake Resort to the south of the intersection.

7.5

As part of the project, the Erskine Road will be upgraded north of the intersection to accommodate traffic going 55 mph. This has suddenly become an alternative route for residents commuting to Midland for work. Erskine Road eventually meets up with SR 19. However, much more work is needed as you can see the roads jogs west before connecting again. Plans are in the works to connect these two roadways. Funding is tight, however.

7.6

Prime commercial land became available amid the intersection improvement and a drugstore decided to build on the corner. Residents were not happy about this development. The resident, who declined to be named, stated, "i don't want this in my backyard!"

7.7

Completed intersection of Erksine Road and Duluth Street.

7.8

Farther out view.

7.9

Completed Erskine Road upgrade north of the intersection for Erskine heading toward Midland.

7.10 & 7.11


Wealthy residents continue to build on the outskirts of Duluth. These estates are north of the city.

Locke, Iowa has also seen some steady growth. Residents who commute to Midland want to live in a smaller community, therefore, settling in smaller towns. This has been a continuing trend and has some leaders concerned. People will live where they want to live, though. Within the past couple of months, construction has been occurring for a middle-class subdivision featuring spacious lots. The subdivision is called Locke Gardens.

7.12

Proposed boundaries for the new Locke Gardens subdivision, next to Locke Elementary School (part of Midland Community Schools).

7.13

Image of the streets being constructed.

7.14

7.15

7.16

Images of the homes being constructed.

That concludes Update 7. Thank you for visiting and please leave a comment if you enjoyed the pictures. I really enjoy when you guys comment on the city journals. Thanks!

[mike3775]

Very nice journal.  The Maxis buildings do not phase me in the least and its perfect for that quaint "small town" feel. 

[corydreinhardt]

Update 8: Construction Season Heating Up in Midland County

Hello and welcome to the beginning of construction season here in Midland County, Iowa. For those of you who don't know, the majority of our road construction occurs in the spring and summer months because of the warm temperatures, which are much more conducive than cold temperatures. Today, the Iowa Department of Transportation (IADOT) recently completed a 16 month project in downtown Duluth. In case you are unaware of where Duluth is, I have posted an aerial view below.

8.1

Aerial view of Midland County.

Overview of Downtown Duluth Widening Project

Originally slated for completion in 2015, the project was pushed ahead due to the recent growth. The Iowa Department of Transportation stated the project as "URGENT" due to the enormous traffic jams the roadway caused. Because Duluth does not have a bypass and limited roadways, the intersection in downtown Duluth is extremely busy. The roadway that is being reconstructed to three lanes is Duluth Street, a west-east route that bisects Duluth and is also home to the Duluth Industrial Park.
In addition, the downtown intersection is being reconstructed for longer turn lanes to ease congestion.

8.2

This shows a typical morning during rush hour in downtown Duluth. As you can see, during the morning rush hour, the traffic is heading east (to the Duluth Industrial Park) and north (to Midland). Duluth Street is the east-west route and Main Street (aka SR 19) is the north-south route.

8.3

As part of the widening project, Duluth Street will be expanded to three lanes by the Duluth Industrial Park. The industrial park is home to nearly 3,000 jobs.

8.4

Although funding was tight for the project, somehow the residents of Duluth petitioned to have a traffic signal installed at the intersection of Dunkard Street and Duluth Street. After a thorough traffic study, the IADOT warranted the need for a traffic signal, although stating that the intersection "is still safe without it." However, the traffic study determined that the need would be there by 2015, so funding was approved to install an intersection. A huge benefit to the residents who drive from the lake.

8.5

The new and improved downtown Duluth, intersection completed after 16 months. This particular image is during the afternoon rush hour when everybody is getting out of work.

8.6

Morning rush hour on the newly completed Duluth Street. Still busy, but not nearly as backed up as before.

8.7

Another image of the widened Duluth Street, west of downtown Duluth near Duluth Elementary School.

8.8

Duluth Street going through the Duluth Industrial Park.

8.9

The completed intersection of Dunkard Street and Duluth Street. No homes were destroyed in the process, just a few trees. However, the city of Duluth planted 39 trees and IADOT planted 15 more trees.

Hope you enjoyed the Duluth Street Widening Project!

Noble Hawk Subdivision in Midland

Now, onto the principal city of the region, Midland. A couple of months ago, the Midland City Council approved a 64 unit subdivision called Noble Hawk. Plans called for the creation of a park, however, not to be maintained by the Midland Parks Department. This was going to be called the Noble Hawk Community Park, only to be enjoyed by the residents of the Noble Hawk community.

8.10

Red boundary for the proposed 64-unit Noble Hawk subdivision. The location is on the northeast side of the city. In the image, you can see the Midland Centre Mall to the northwest and the main commercial district of the city, prompting the demand for this ideal location for residential development.

8.11

After a few months of digging dirt, the streets are finally constructed. Originally, the plan was to have two entrance points to the subdivision, however, the city and the developer could not come to an agreement about where the second entrance would be.

8.12

Construction of Noble Hawk continues.

8.13

Current image of the subdivision. A few lots are still available. Anybody interested?

8.14

Noble Hawk Community Park (not part of the Midland Parks Department).

Hope you enjoyed the newest subdivision in Midland, Iowa!

Energy Industrial Park

The Midland County Landfill is located in Justus Township, just east of Midland, Iowa. This is large landfill and is 1 square mile in area. Although not a desirable spot for an industrial park, one company expressed interest in developing their headquarters there because of the proximity to the landfill, which is a necessary component to their operation. Energy Inc., which employs 195 workers, is nestled in Justus Township in the Energy Industrial Park. This industrial park was created in 2011, just one year ago. Midland County is aggressively trying to seek companies to locate there, offering incentives as well. However, with no city really close by and no major roadway, it does not seem enticing. Perhaps a miss on this one by the Midland County Commissioners.

8.15

Image showing where Justus Township is.

8.16

Aerial view of Energy Industrial Park. The trees surrounding the landfill cost and estimated $525,000. Who footed that bill?!?!? The residents of Midland County were outraged, to say the least.

8.17

Close-up view. Energy Inc. operates four of the facilities here. The Midland County Landfill operates the recycling division here, which is also home to the Midland County Road Department.

THE TEASER:

And now for the teaser for the next update. This teaser brings us back to Duluth, Iowa. In a previous update, I mentioned the need for the upgrade or Erskine Road to meet up with SR 19, heading toward Midland. Preliminary work is being done to straighten the roadway to accommodate heavier truck and car traffic and to straighten the roadway. A round-about may be installed at this particular intersection, however, increasing the cost by $929,000. Is it worth it? The bisecting road (Crawford Road) generates about 400 vehicles per day. What do you guys think? Just a normal intersection with no traffic signal, install a traffic signal, or a round-about?

8.19

What do you guys think?? Please leave a comment below!

Thank you for visiting my city journal!

Post Replies:

1) mike3775: Thank you for the encouragement! I feel as though the Maxis buildings work out well for the quaint small-town atmosphere that you are talking about. Eventually, I would like to add a little more variety, but these will do for now, I suppose

[art128]

Great update, everything is well planned. I really loved the new houses built over the farm.

Looking forward to more.

[RickD]

Midland County is growing fast. I like the new developments.

[corydreinhardt]

Post Replies:

RickD: I'm glad you are liking the development that is occurring in Midland. It is growing faster than normal due to the end of the recession.

art128: Yes, farmland is still aplenty here in Midland. This particular farm, however, was located too close to retail development. The farmer got a pretty penny out of this land, though.

Update 9: Midland's Steady Growth:

I know it has been a few weeks since my last post, but I have been rather busy as of late. This particular update is somewhat shorter than my other ones, but still showcases a few of the developments occurring in Midland, Iowa. Midland is the principal city of the Midland MSA. With a population now cresting over 23,000 as of the most recent estimated census, city officials are beginning to look at their current services. Expansions may well be warranted now that the city keeps on growing (police, fire, schools, etc.).


Aerial view of Midland, Iowa.

US 41/Buckner Road Commercial Growth:

9.1

Intersection of W US 41 and Buckner Road. High profile commercial area that has been waiting for development for nearly 3 years now. Finally, development has begun and is going to be home to retail stores and the site of a satellite campus for the University of Iowa - Midland. Groundbreaking occurred last month and will be done within a year.

9.2

New retail stores directly next to the intersection. The green space next to the retail stores is the site for the new satellite campus.

9.3

Residents nearby warned of increases to traffic, but city officials didn't listen. Still nothing terrible, but noticeably different.

9.4

More retail as well as the main anchor, University of Iowa - Midland Campus. A few new access streets had to be constructed as part of the new development.

Midland County Stadium:

After nearly 16 years of discussion, 3 years of planning and design, and 6 months for site selection, the Midland City Officials are pleased to announce the new Midland County Stadium. Tireless efforts by some philanthropists in Midland County have made this dream possible.

9.5

The new site for the Midland County Stadium. The location is on E US 41.

9.6

The new Midland County Stadium serves as a recreational stadium for soccer tournaments and other sports. It serves the residents of Midland, Midland County, and people all over Iowa come for youth and adult tournaments.

Industrial Development in the Airport Industrial Park:

Since the recession is over, industrial development has picked up, albeit slightly.

9.7

Two new plants are proposed and are being tabled by the Midland City Planning Committee. If the tax abatements are OK'd, ArcelorMittal USA will locate a 320,000 square foot facility and is expected to employ 450 jobs. In addition, plans are to locate their Regional Headquarters in a separate 3 story building with 29,000 square feet of office space. A huge win for Midland!

If the ArcelorMittal USA plant is OK'd, USI Steel Co. plans to build a 55,000 square foot building adjacent to ArcelorMittal USA's facility. Once fully operational, it hopes to employ 55-60 people by 2015. USI Steel Co. is a supplier to ArcelorMittal USA.

9.8

In addition to the industrial development, Magnum Parkway (access road into the Airport Industrial Park) will be upgraded and a traffic light will be installed at the intersection of Magnum Parkway and Huguenard Road.

9.9

Expanded Magnum Parkway and the upgraded intersection of Magnum Parkway and Huguenard Road.

9.10

ArcelorMittal USA's facility being constructed. Company officials explained that access to city utilities as well as access to rail were   the main reasons to locate their regional headquarters here in Midland. This will be a state-of-the-art facility once complete.

9.11

Even though Magnum Parkway was upgraded, rush hour can still be a hassle for residents leaving the industrial park. You can also see the new ArcelorMittal USA's regional headquarters building. It provides about 190 high-paying jobs.

Welp, I hope you enjoyed the new developments occurring in Midland, Iowa. Next update will introduce a new city 12 miles to the north of Midland. The city's name is Bristol, Iowa and is home to something special. You will have to wait for the next update though to find out! Please comment if you enjoyed this update. Thank you!