Midvale Main
Nestled in the heart of Midvale City lies our beloved Midvale Main Arts & Culture District, a gathering spot encapsulating the very spirit of our community. This district, adorned with more than 30captivating murals, serves as a vibrant testament to our genuine personality, homegrown warmth, and deep-rooted sense of community pride.
- A Canvas of Expression: The district's 30+ murals narrate stories and honor local talent. Each mural reflects our culture and creativity, adding a unique artistic touch to our streets.
- Theatrical Delights: Charming theaters within the district come alive with performances, offering an immersive cultural experience for residents and visitors alike. Here, you can revel in local theater productions that showcase the talent and creativity of our community.
- Ink and Artistry: Tattoo parlors in the district are more than mere studios; they're hubs of self-expression. Local artists create unique, personalized tattoos that tell individual stories, contributing to the rich tapestry of our community's identity.
- Coffee Culture: Our district's coffee shop is more than a place to grab a cup of joe; it's the heart of our community. It's where friends gather for conversations, where locals connect, and where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee blends with the authentic camaraderie of our residents
Murals on Midvale Main
Food Truck Fridays @ Midvale Main Street
Midvale City partners with the Food Truck League to host League Nights over the summer at the Midvale Main Arts & Culture District.
Midvale Art House
The Midvale Art House, a key component of the district, contributes to the district's lively atmosphere. The Art House aims to amplify the cultural richness by nurturing local talent and celebrating our artists. . By repurposing an existing City building, the Art House becomes a unique community asset, enhancing the district's vibrancy in a way not readily provided by the market.
Midvale Main Projects
Midvale Main Street Urban Design Plan
2023 Midvale City Mural Festival
History and Character of the Area
In 1909, when Midvale City was founded, Main Street served as its bustling heart. Nestled around the smelter just west of Main Street, this area thrived with smelter offices, banks, restaurants, and shops. The Avenues neighborhood homes were constructed for the industrial workers and their families who were part of the surrounding industrial hub. Before the construction of I-15, Main Street played a crucial role as a regional north-south route, attracting residents from across the valley. It was a vibrant destination for shopping and leisure.
However, with the advent of the freeway, Main Street's importance as a north-south route dwindled. The freeway diverted traffic to newly built strip malls, while also limiting access to Main Street from the expanding eastern part of the City. As a result, businesses along Main Street experienced a decline in both foot and vehicle traffic.
Today, Main Street presents a mix of thriving businesses and vacant properties, offering opportunities for revitalization. With recent additions like City Hall and the County Senior Center at the north end of Main Street, there's growing momentum for both public and private investments, paving the way for a more vibrant and promising future for this area.
Have You Seen Main Street Lately?
Videos
Art House: Halloween Event Murals
Main Street Small Area Plan
Midvale Main Public Involvement
Ultimately, cities, neighborhoods, and streets are designed for people to use. They accommodate the needs of residents, property owners, business owners, and visitors, so including these people in the planning process is vital to the long-term success of the Midvale Main Street neighborhood.
A public outreach strategy was designed to both gather and distribute information to the public throughout the planning process. Stakeholders were identified based on their addresses, ownership, and general interest in the Main Street area, and invited to participate. While key stakeholders received personal invitations, the entire community was also invited to attend. The people who participated in the planning process were self-selected.
Participants were presented with information about the planning process and invited to respond. Their responses were incorporated into the next phase of the process, which was repeated again as they were presented with updated information and additional responses. This repeated give-and-take of information guided much of the planning process.
The public outreach strategy for this small area plan included three major components: engage the public through social media, poll public opinion with a survey, and conduct two open houses. The overall level of public participation was relatively high, indicating a healthy degree of public interest and engagement. Public participation provided useful information throughout the planning process.
Social Media Outreach
The social media outreach was designed to achieve four goals:
- Encourage and develop a sustained interest in the Main Street neighborhood;
- present up-to-date information about Main Street and the small area plan;
- notify people of upcoming opportunities to participate in the planning process; and
- receive feedback.
As social media is the predominant means for social communication, three social media platforms were used to achieve these goals. This strategy maximized exposure across the most popular platforms in order to reach the most people and to take advantage of the capacity for social media to both gather and disseminate information. People also had the option to join the email list to receive updates on the planning process.
Public Survey
A public survey was conducted to get more specific and quantifiable feedback from stakeholders. The survey was primarily conducted online through the Main Street website and was active from January 2018 to April 2018. A paper version of the survey was available at the first open house on February 28, 2018. The survey consisted of 20 questions, took an average of 6 minutes to complete, and was available in both English and Spanish. There were 501 responses including 38 local business owners.
Questions were designed to determine each respondent’s relationship to Midvale and the Main Street neighborhood, if and how they use Main Street, how they perceive Main Street, if they were a local business owner, and their local shopping habits. They were also given the option to add their email address to the small area plan email list.
The public survey was completed in April 2018 and the results were compiled and presented at the second open house in May 2018. These results were used to inform the second phase of the planning process.
Public Open Houses
Two open houses gave people the opportunity to come engage in person. This type of face-to-face interaction is the best way to engage people; it gave them the chance to ask specific questions, learn more about the planning process and issues, and give feedback. The informal open house format allowed people to come any time within the two hours, providing some schedule flexibility to encourage more people to participate.
The open houses were held on February 28, 2018 and May 9, 2018. Both were hosted at City Hall and facilitated by City planning staff and Voda personnel. The sign in list at both open houses provided an attendance count, asked which Midvale neighborhood the attendees lived in, and gathered email addresses for the email list.
First open house (February 28, 2018)
The first open house was conducted early in the planning process. It was attended by ~90 people with 66 signing in at the welcome table. The first section presented information about Small Area Plans, including what they are, how they are made and used, and how Main Street would benefit from its own plan. A map of the planning area boundary was displayed to give people context and let them know the area that will be affected by the plan.
Attendees participated in two exercises. The first asked them which types of Main Street businesses/activities they would use and what time-of-day and day of week they would come to Main Street for these activities. It was an open-ended exercise that allowed participants to choose any type of business or activity. This informed the planning process by providing information about how to better activate Main Street in the future.
The second exercise was about prioritizing Main Street improvements. Each participant was given four mini $100 bills and 7 project categories, which were presented with example photos. Participants would choose which projects were most important to them by “paying” for them with their four bills. Results were tabulated and incorporated into the selection process for implementation projects.
Second Open House (May 9, 2018)
The second open house was conducted later in the planning process. It was attended by ~50 people with 31 signing in at the welcome table. The same Small Area Plan explanation and planning area boundary were on display for reference. Raw results from the survey and first open house exercises were displayed.
An interpretation of the feedback from the survey and first open house were presented as specific goals and implementation projects. The overall goal, as informed by public feedback, is to establish Main Street as a destination district with an activity level and business mix that attracts people, investment, and growth. General ways to achieve this major goal were described in short- mid- and long-term minor goals.
Implementation projects were selected to achieve the minor goals which will, collectively, accomplish the main goals for Main Street. These projects were grouped into three phases: the near-term phase 1 (1-2 years), mid-term phase 2 (2-5 years), and long-term phase 3 (5+ years). The phasing recognizes that achieving the goals for Main Street will take many years and that the projects are interdependent and should occur in a particular order.
A general description of each of the 16 implementation projects was presented. Public opinion was collected through comment card feedback about the projects.
Who's Listening
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Phone 801-567-7219 Email chill@midvale.com -
Interim Redevelopment Agency Project Manager
Phone 801-567-7211 Email kandrus@midvale.com