The Midwood Mile
The "Midwood Mile" initiative aims to enhance The Plaza by adding art, beautification, and other placemaking elements. Our vision is not only to make The Plaza a safer street for everyone, but also to create a welcoming, vibrant, and people-friendly place that encourages activity, facilitates connections, and builds community.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THIS PROJECT
Art by Laurel Holtzapple of Groundworks Studio
The Midwood Mile is a long-term placemaking initiative to create both an amenity and an attraction for everyone to enjoy in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood on The Plaza between Parkwood Avenue and Central Avenue. This road is both a gateway and main travel spine for our neighborhood and a thruway for our Charlotte neighbors.
After the city installed bike lanes with planters, and pedestrian crossings, and other safety improvements, we celebrated with a Mardi Gras themed grand opening party and ribbon cutting ceremony on February 22, 2020. Now the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association plans to implement a multi-year strategy to make The Plaza a must see / experience location for people traveling through on pedestrians, bikes, scooters and vehicles.
To kick things off, the team coordinated with the city and over 40 volunteers to plant 9,000 tulips in five sections of the median. The beautiful flowers were a wonderful bright spot in Spring 2020 and we hope they will bloom again next spring! Next, we implemented a beautiful mural in the bike lanes outside of Holy Trinity Church near Belle Terre. This mural titled "Hearts a Bursting" was designed by neighborhood artist Laurel Holtzapple and was made possible through an Arts & Science council grant, lots of volunteers, as well as support & donations from many community partners and local businesses!
Imagine what beauty and interest might be created with a sustained effort to plan and implement place making along our neighborhood’s driveway. This is were you come in. If you have an interest in supporting the planning and execution simply let us know and, if possible, please also support this effort financially with a donation. Your help will ensure that the beauty will continue to evolve before your eyes over the next years and can be something we enjoy everyday.
If you'd like to support this project and help us make The Plaza a more beautiful and people-friendly place, please DONATE and look for volunteer opportunities. Or email us at info@plazamidwood.org for more ways to help!
In the meantime, we hope you'll bike, scoot, skate, stroll, walk, run, and LOVE the Midwood Mile!