The City of Midland is pleased to announce a significant donation of land by a locally operating oil and gas company for future transportation planning in north Midland.
Occidental Petroleum Corporation has dedicated 6 total linear miles of right of way to the City for three future roadway extensions: 1 mile extension to the north for Midland Drive, 2 mile extension to the north for Garfield Road, and a new, 3-mile east-west connection that will be called Occidental Parkway. The total right of way dedicated is equivalent to 72.58 acres.
“Securing right of way acquisitions can be extremely challenging and time consuming for a government entity, so a dedication of this magnitude in a fast-growing area of town is significant,” said Midland Mayor Jerry Morales. “We are fortunate to have this partnership with Occidental as the City of Midland continues to grow.”
The corridors of right of way that have been donated are consistent with the City’s recently completed Tall City Tomorrow comprehensive plan, as well as the long-range thoroughfare plan for the City’s transportation network. City of Midland and Occidental officials have been meeting since 2014 to discuss the City’s long-range plan for major roadway extensions in north Midland.
“This is an important first step in future extensions of roadways, and now we can focus on planning so that projects in this area are shovel-ready when funding is available in the future,” said Engineering Services Director Jose Ortiz.
Occidental is the largest operator and oil producer in the Permian Basin, with Permian oil and gas production accounting for nearly 39 percent of the organization's total worldwide production in 2015.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with the City of Midland,” said Jeff Alvarez, General Manager for Occidental’s Permian Resources – Midland Basin business unit. “We recognize that Midland is a growing and robust city and we appreciate being a part of this opportunity to help with the development of future infrastructure expansions.”
###Media Contact: Public Information Officer Sara Bustilloz