Community Corner

Opponents of Drive-Through in Middletown Historic District Pleased at 'Temporary Victory'

The developer at the center of a controversial retail- restaurant complex along Middletown's busy Washington Street has decided not to purchase a home owned by Wesleyan University.

The developer at the center of a controversial drive-through retail- restaurant complex in Middletown's historic district has decided not to purchase a home owned by Wesleyan University.

Joyce Topshe, Associate Vice President for Facilities at Wesleyan University said Tuesday the property will be back on the market soon.

Centerplan Companies of Middletown was for a year under option to purchase the 186 Washington Street property. Once the contingency period ended, the sale was not finalized.

Last November, Wesleyan University announced via a blog post it was considering moving the campus bookstore, Broad Street Books, to the corner of High and Washington streets, part of a 10,000-square-foot mixed use project that was met with vocal opposition from Wesleyan students, professors and area residents.

Mayor Dan Drew announced his support in a press conference days later. “This will bring a $6 million influx of funds into the Middletown economy,” said  “It will create 30 full-time jobs in the development complex,” he said.

"Centerplan Find Other Land" was the chant in March, when 75 protesters organized by members of the the Facebook group No Strip Mall/No Wrecking Ball held up signs and picketed during rush hour on busy Route 66.

Community activist Ed McKeon, founder of the Wrecking Ball group, is cautiously optimistic at the news. "It's a temporary victory," he said. In mid-March, the planning and zoning commission unanimously passed Centerplan's request for a mixed-use development special exception.

"There's still the potential for someone to buy it and try to knock it down and build something not appropriate for the neighborhood," McKeon said. "Temporarily, I guess you can look at it as a positive. At the very least, Wesleyan has gotten the message of how the community feels."

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