The Mid
Detroit, Michigan
Ongoing
![](https://images.prismic.io/smm-website/dc33b020-279b-47cd-87f2-f031bf06c2db_The+Mid_Dusk_1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&w=6400&h=3600)
Credit:
Design Distill
![](https://images.prismic.io/smm-website/dc33b020-279b-47cd-87f2-f031bf06c2db_The+Mid_Dusk_1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&w=6400&h=3600)
![](https://images.prismic.io/smm-website/e70ce36f-b7f9-49c8-95d7-39f4953c3b14_The+Mid_Day+16_9.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&w=4800&h=2700)
![](https://images.prismic.io/smm-website/c786d984-4ae9-4f48-a51b-f5a512c584c0_The+Mid_Dusk+16_9_4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&w=4800&h=2700)
![](https://images.prismic.io/smm-website/47a401ba-f869-421a-9b9a-f3956e16b685_The+Mid_Aerial+16_9.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=8%2C0%2C4785%2C2700&w=4785&h=2700&fit=max)
Partners
Inspired by Midtown’s music, art, history, and culture, “The Mid” will be a new development in Midtown Detroit. The 3.8-acre mixed-use development aims to unite the surrounding community and residents across a range of backgrounds. SMM is leading the site development and stormwater management for the entire block.
![](https://images.prismic.io/smm-website/2b8122f5-6ceb-436d-b4c7-7ae6efd90a4e_Mid_Hand+sketch_Square_2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&w=4800&h=4800)
Initial concept sketch.
The site is a shared-use plaza with hotel drop-off and circulation for resident parking integrated with pedestrian and event spaces. This approach prioritizes the pedestrian experience while allowing for the needed automobile circulation to occur on the site. A parking structure under the plaza for the majority of the site means that much of the landscape is built on top of the structure, requiring careful consideration for the placement of trees, the use of lightweight materials, and innovative stormwater management techniques.
Stormwater management is a driving force for the landscape, which is heavily programmed with little open green space, yet is required by City ordinances to fully manage all water on site. Cost-benefit analyses were performed with the construction management team to balance the environmental and budgetary needs for the project. Stormwater capture and cleansing systems that also provide irrigation water for trees and adjacent landscapes are also integrated into the overall design, providing multiple benefits to the project.
![](https://images.prismic.io/smm-website/82a346b4-4be3-44a7-b6e9-6161dd6757de_The+Mid_SW+Presentation_2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&w=3204&h=2162)
Blue Roof Practices control and gradually drain rainwater from the roof of a building, decreasing the amount of runoff entering the City’s sewage system.