$55M Bond Package To Be On Nov. 3 Ballot In Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The Common Council this month approved a ballot question in the November election that will give Middletown residents the opportunity to vote on a $55 million infrastructure and economic development package.

The referendum question for the Nov. 3 election would allow the city to bond up to $55 million for “Property acquisition and sale, design, engineering, environmental assessment and remediation, construction, redevelopment, installation, repair and renovation of various public facilities and infrastructure.”

The bond will provide funding over the course of about 10 years for a series of projects, according to Mayor Ben Florsheim.

“The total cost of the package is $55 million, which if approved will be spread out over the course of several years as the projects proceed,” Florsheim wrote in a post on Facebook. “However, unlike bonding for something like a new school or to purchase open space (both of which the city has approved by referendum in recent years), this bond is specifically oriented towards economic development and growing the tax base beyond where it is today. For that reason, this bond can be thought of more as an investment than simply an expenditure.”

Florsheim posted a lengthy message on Facebook on Monday to provide an overview of the projects included in the referendum question. Read more from Florsheim below:

The key elements of the 21st Century Infrastructure Development Bond are:

PUBLIC PARKING. For years, lack of public parking supply downtown has stifled economic growth; a 2008 parking study (currently in the process of being updated for 2020) recommended more parking but was largely ignored. Approval of this bond will allow addition of new parking infrastructure in key locations, such as the former Arcade site adjacent to the police station.

RIVERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT. With the decommissioning of the former water treatment plant on River Road, the redevelopment of our riverfront can begin in earnest at last. Projects are already underway to replace the boardwalk at Harbor Park and make improvements around the boathouse, and the city is soliciting a master plan for the entire area. Approval of the bond will allow the city to strategically purchase key riverfront properties so that the community itself can make decisions about how the land will be used in coordination with a master plan.

ACQUISITION/REDEVELOPMENT OF CITY-OWNED BUILDINGS, namely the city’s Municipal Building at 245 DeKoven Drive. The current building, built in 1958, is nearing the end of its useful life and will eventually need to be either heavily renovated or replaced. However, the city has been presented with the opportunity to relocate City Hall into an existing, larger building on Main Street: the former Citizens Bank building across the street from the police station. Approval of the bond will allow the city to purchase and renovate that building, which represents a significant savings over the cost of an entirely new building. Also, critically, it will open up the existing DeKoven Drive site for development opportunities, which will significantly increase the city’s tax base in a key part of downtown.

COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER. When construction of the Beman Middle School is complete, most of the vacated Woodrow Wilson Middle School building will be demolished. However, the newer portion of the building, which includes a swimming pool and gym, will be kept. Approval of the bond will allow the space to be renovated and converted into a public recreation center for all to enjoy, adjacent to Pat Kidney Sports Complex and the brand new school.

SIDEWALK AND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS. Approval of the bond will allow continued improvements and repaving to take place to city roads and sidewalks across Middletown.

For more details on the 21st Century Infrastructure Development Bond, visit the city’s website here.