Metro ~ Renaissance in Midway: Old village is the new, cool place
by Booch7
by Carlos A. Merighe
by Sha & Lin
By Christopher Smart
The Salt Lake Tribune
Midway • Call it the Midway makeover or the rural redo: This once-bucolic village is in the midst of a
renaissance.
The little Wasatch County town nestled east of Mount Timpanogos has always been a quaint, quiet favorite for urban
denizens seeking a quick getaway. But word has spread about the Midway magic and its pastoral beauty — and with it
has come new housing, new restaurants and even a cool grocery store.
(Scott Sommerdorf l The Salt Lake Tribune) A vintage Sinclair Dinosaur marks the entrance to the
Fill'er Up Coffee Station on Main Street in Midway. The former filling station is being refurbished throughout with the
gas staion theme. Owners expect the shop to open as soon as this weekend. Midway is going through a renaissance.
There are several new restaurants, a new grocery and other businesses set to open.
The economic uptick also has provided this traditional farming town with the financial umph to spruce things up. Main
Street boasts sidewalks with hanging flower baskets and its historic Swiss motif buildings have been refurbished and
painted.
There is a noticeable change in the air. It’s a little more hip now, with such amenities as a bookstore, a boutique and a
fabric store that specializes in quilts. It even has a coffeehouse. And the place is quite friendly to local artists and
musicians, too.
But unlike Park City, its upscale neighbor to the north, Midway still has that small, hometown appeal, said Mayor
Connie Tatton. “And the people who live and work here want to keep it that way,” she said.
(Scott Sommerdorf l The Salt Lake Tribune) The Legacy Bridge is a covered bridge spanning
the Provo River that carries pedestrians and cyclists into Midway as it parralells Hwy 113. Midway is going through
a renaissance. There are several new restaurants, a new grocery and other businesses set to open.
Although the most recent U.S. census figures are not yet available, the mayor said the town’s full-time population may
have grown about 10 percent — from 3,000 to 3,300 — during her 4½ years in office. Perhaps more notably, about 500
new houses have sprouted and 500 more have been approved. That provides a tax base and a critical mass of shoppers.
But the double-edged sword of growth brings challenges: Can Midway retain its ambience if it continues to grow?
“It’s still gorgeous,” said 47-year resident Shirley Bonner, as she admired Main Street. “But I liked it the way it
was.”
Vintage 19th Century Pioneer Homes
by Calamity Jane Doe
by dreamerdave
Typical of Midway, new housing replicating the craftsmanship of a cherished heritage
by Calamity Jane Doe
The newcomers
Time was when you’d have to wade through sheep flocks to cross the road and most everybody somehow relied
on agriculture. These days, farm fields are turning into subdivisions — albeit upscale ones — and few dairy operations
remain.
“Things change and you’ve got to go forward,” Bonner conceded. “It’s busy, even with hard times right now.”
The very popular Alpine charm of the Italian, Swiss and Austrian Alps prevails amongst the mandated design of both commercial and residential new build architecture.
by Cabled Sheep
Midway has managed its growth well, said one-time Park City restaurateur Billy Williams.
“This is not the chaos we saw in the early days in Park City,” he said.
Last summer, Williams made the bold move to Midway to open the Bear Dance restaurant and sports bar. He
specializes in steaks and seafood. “And good service.”
by vicki allred
“It was tough getting through the winter. But we did,” he said. “Now we’re in our summer season and we’re
getting tremendous local support.”
The Bear Dance also serves visitors from Spanish Fork to Brigham City, Williams noted. “We get ranchers, bikers
and kayakers and they all have a good time together.”
The Heber Valley, in general, and Midway, specifically, have a lot going beyond the magnificent granite faces of
Timpanogos.
The Provo River is a blue-ribbon fishery, several golf courses grace the valley’s west side, and bicycling, kayaking
and hiking round out a recreation palette that is low-key and perhaps less spendy than in Park City and Deer Valley.
And, of course, there is boating on nearby Deer Creek Reservoir.
“You can come here and put everything aside,” the mayor said. “This is a place of rejuvenation.”
Drew Jenkins is a young entrepreneur who wants to take advantage of the natural bounty through his Midway
Adventure Co. The 3-year-old outfit offers raft trips, bicycle outings, hiking tours and fly-fishing instruction, among
other things.
“Most of our activities are geared for families and regular people who want to have fun,” he said.
According to Jenkins and others, there is a real can-do spirit running through Midway these days and locals are proud
of the way things are going.
“The people who have come here are putting real effort into it,” he said.
Locally owned businesses
Cecil Duvall moved to Midway about seven years ago after his daughter discovered the place and refused to leave.
Originally a farmer from upstate New York, he bought a Wasatch County dairy farm and, more recently, opened Cafe
Galleria on Midway’s Main Street.
His farm provides all the meat and dairy products for the restaurant, including cheeses. The cafe specializes in wood-
fired pizzas and a special recipe for bagels that also are wood-fired.
Midway residents like locally owned businesses, Duvall said. “They like the fact that there are no chains.”
Seventeen years ago, Millie and Roger Medby left Southern California for Midway because they wanted to live in the
country. The couple renovated a historic house and opened an antique shop.
Now they’re revamping an old gas station on Main Street into a coffeehouse. The couple plan a July 31 grand opening
for the Fill Er up Coffee Station.
They’re taking a chance on a new business despite the economy, Millie said, because the town’s future looks
promising.
“Everything has slowed down for the past two years with the economy, but we’re still a tourist destination.”
The pitfalls of growth are a constant topic of discussion in Midway, she said.
“We have people who are big thinkers and some who are more conservative,” she said. “We have a lot of new
development. Some is well done. And some I’m not crazy about.”
Little Midway has grown so much that owners of The Store in Holladay opened a 20,000-square-foot grocery on
Main Street in December. Residents have made a pact to shop there so it won’t go away.
The sleek but down-home market offers everything from specialized meats and sushi to fresh milk and eggs, said
manager Tyler Lay.
“We offer the everyday and the hard-to-get,” he said.
And that’s a motto that seems to fit the whole town.
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