Middletown To Reveal New Riverfront Development Plan

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Mayor Ben Florsheim and the Return to the Riverbend Steering Committee will unveil the Master Plan to “reconnect” the people of Middletown to the city’s riverfront on Saturday, July 2.

The public is invited to attend a 10 a.m. presentation at City Hall (livestreamed online) and sign up for Riverbend Trolley Tours at either 12 noon or 12:45 p.m. to see and hear about project sites up close and in person.

Later in the day, the City of Middletown will host the annual Fireworks Festival over the Connecticut River. Food vendors and kids’ activities will be available downtown starting at 5 p.m., and informational material on Return to the Riverbend will be available in Harbor Park during the Fireworks Festival.

Even if the fireworks are postponed due to inclement weather, officials said the master plan reveal will go on as planned.

“The final concepts and nearly all of the design that will be presented on July 2 came directly from the people of Middletown,” Florsheim said. “Our team started with a vision and a mission to develop a workable, achievable plan to reconnect our community to the river. Throughout the planning process, we heard from more than 1,200 people—at public workshops, focus-group meetings, drop-ins to the Return to the Riverbend storefront on Main Street, and beyond—to get your ideas. I am grateful to everyone who contributed time and effort to realize this master plan, and I look forward to continuing our work together to make what you see in these pages a reality.”

The city “wishes to thank City staff and the Return to the Riverbend consulting team, consisting of Cooper Robertson, Karp Strategies, and Langan, for their hard work, as well as our Steering Committee for keeping that work on track: Larry McHugh, Elaine Bank, Councilwoman Jeanette Blackwell, and Stephen Devoto,” officials wrote in a news release.

To virtually attend the 10 a.m. Master Plan Presentation via WebEx, use the information below:

To join from a computer or mobile device, use this link:

Webinar number:

2349 269 2158

Webinar password:

Middletown (64335386 from phones)

To join by phone:

+1-617-315-0704 United States Toll (Boston)

+1-646-992-2010 United States Toll (New York City)

Access code: 234 926 92158

A livestream of the presentation will be available through Facebook here or Granius here.

To sign up for the Riverbend Trolley Tour, visit here.

To learn more about the project, visit here or email riverbend@middeltownct.gov.