Plans for a redevelopment of the old railway workshops in Midland have been released by the Midland Redevelopment Authority. Under the current design, the site will contain 1,000 new apartments and terrace homes, a creative industries centre, education facilities, a boutique hotel, cafes and retail outlets. Landscaping and artwork on the site will reflect its history, and sustainability will be a focus of the design. Midland Redevelopment Authority chairman Fred Affleck said remediation of the 17-hectare site, formerly an industrial area, was under way, with stage one of subdivision works to be completed at the end of August. Dr Affleck said the authority was expected to call for expressions of interest for the first apartment lots within the next few weeks. “The railway workshops powered the Swan region’s economy for almost a hundred years,” he said. “The MRA’s task now is to create the opportunities and generate the activities that will give the workshops another century of growth and prosperity.” Dr Affleck said sustainability was inherent in the rejuvenation of the site. “The adaptive reuse of buildings is recycling at a large scale with significant environmental and social benefits. Specific initiatives to improve environmental sustainability include water efficiency and reuse systems with stormwater harvesting, rainwater reuse and provision of non-potable water to properties.”