First, to get this kick-started, a little background on the region, which I will continue to develop:
Saginaw, Michigan Skyline -
Source:
Pinterest (edited)
Midland, Michigan downtown aerial -
Source:
Twitter (edited)
Bay City, downtown aerial -
Source:
Youtube (screenhsot)
The Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Combined Statistical Area is an area surrounding the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River. It currently comprises an estimated 380,000 persons (2017 estimate). Within this CSA are the three MSA's for each of the three principal cities, which are often referred to as the Tri-Cities:
- Saginaw MSA (all of Saginaw County) Population Estimate: 191,934 (July 1, 2017, US Census Bureau)
- Bay City (all of Bay County) Population Estimate: 104,747 (July 1, 2017, US Census Bureau)
- Midland MSA (all of Midland County) Population Estimate: 83,411 (July 1, 2017, US Census Bureau)
At a city level, the combined population of the three anchor cities peaked in 1960 (around 180,000 - equivalent to the size of Grand Rapids MI at the same time period). The populations of Saginaw and Bay City have both been dropping since then. Today, Saginaw has about half the population that it did compared to its peak of about 100,000 in the 1960's. Midland, on the other hand, has generally continued a trend of slow growth / stability. Here is a chart of the city populations that I put together. The top line is the sum of all three -
Historically, these MSA's have shared a variety of regional resources and been anchored by heavy manufacturing. This trend is still apparent today. MBS International Airport is utilized by the entire CSA, and manufacturing still plays a major role in the local economies. The following major businesses currently operate in the area:
- The Dow Chemical Company (recently merged to become DowDupont) - Dow world headquarters is in Midland
- General Motors - owns production facilities in Flint, Bay City, and Saginaw
- S.C. Johnson and Son - owns a manufacturing facility in Bay City (where Ziploc products are made).
- Nexteer Corporation - owns Saginaw Steering Systems in Saginaw
- The Michigan Sugar Company - headquartered in Bay City
Source:
Wikipedia
Midland-based Dow Chemical Manufacturing Facilities dominates the landscape -
Source:
2016, Jeff Schrier | MLive
Tourism is also a big draw in the region, with boating and water-based recreational activities being a major draw. The annual Tall Ships celebration in Bay city is a very popular one.
Erie, PA's Flagship Niagara (a replica of the 1812 ship) -
Source: April 2013 Photo |
susankeogh.wordpress.com
The region is home to a lot of unique architecture, most notably, a lot of mid-century modern designs. The area is a mecca for architectural enthusiasts, considered on-par with Columbus, Indiana for the shear volume of high-quality modern structures. In large part, this heritage is due to the presence of Dow Chemical in Midland and the work of one local Architect, Alden B. Dow, who was the son of the company founder, Herbert Henry Dow. Alden apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright before opening his own firm in Midland, where he worked on projects that transformed the local landscape from the 1930s through 1970s. Without doubt, the most famous of these is his own home and studio, which can be toured today -
Source:
Alden B. Dow Home & Studio Website
Another popular site in Midland is a three-way pedestrian bridge, known as "The Tridge". Recently, programmable LED lights were installed.
Source:
Reddit