What is Your Vision for Middletown’s Riverfront?

The Middletown Riverfront Redevelopment Commission is one step closer to potentially having its wishes fulfilled, but how about you?

The commissions’ last report on future plans for the Riverfront was sent to the Common Council for review on Monday, July 7, the Middletown Press reported. 

Members were tasked with investigating and answering questions pertaining to the future development of Middletown's riverfront.

Community Concerns on Flooding

• “Members of the community have voiced concern about climate change and its impact on flooding and sea level rise on the Middletown riverfront,” the commission wrote in its report. “There is no doubt that the riverfront will be affected by the increase in extreme storm events and flooding, and areas within the 100 year flood plain, whether park land or structures, will have to be built or retrofitted with the potential for flooding in mind. This should not curtail the use of the riverfront, however. Waterfronts around the world are adapting to these harsh realities while continuing to operate as vital community places.”

Here are excerpts from the June 2014 final report, depicting the vision of the commission.

The Plaza

• The plaza next to the community boathouse would be the heart of the riverfront, providing information, food, possibly bike and small boat rentals, and serving as an event space for private and public functions, markets and small performances

• Plaza would be a viewing area for boat races and fireworks, would be linked by a pedestrian bridge to the Sumner Point Great Lawn

Sumner Point Great Lawn

• Sumner Point Great Lawn: a flexible space for outdoor performances and programs.

• In between performances, the lawn could be used for informal activities (e.g. frisbee, kite flying, pick-up soccer games, badminton, picnics)

• A formal amphitheater or permanent stage is not recommended, “since that could constrain the types of performances that could be held there”

The Water Works

• The Water Works will be a dynamic, multi-use recreational, entertainment and cultural destination proposed to replace the Middletown waste treatment plant.

• The waste treatment plant features structures located in the floodplain that, if fully demolished, could never be replaced. The commission proposes to preserve, adapt and remodel existing buildings and some of the tanks.

• The commission acknowledges that some treatment tanks may be too polluted for retrofitting, but “as many as possible of the remaining tanks should be preserved and adapted for new recreational uses, such as swimming and wave pools, scuba diving, skateboarding ramps and bowls, climbing walls, high ropes courses, etc.”

• The two-story main service building, where the pumps are housed today, could be remodeled into a space for a full size restaurant or a smaller kitchen serving an outdoor beer garden.

• Another possibility for the building: A micro-brewery

The Omo Site

• A potential parking lot that could provide space for up to 175 cars and boat trailers.

• Restore the brook through dredging, the removal of invasive vegetation, erosion control and new plantings.

• The city should encourage restoring/renovating the historic industrial buildings at the southeast corner of the site for cultural and commercial use such as craft or flea markets, art galleries, coffee shops, or an indoor public market.

• The city should also encourage the building at the back of the site adjacent to Route 9 to be redeveloped as commercial offices.  

The Wetlands

• Commissioners recommend the city of Middletown acquire the low-lying, wetland area to the west of the Jackson Site, to eliminate the current blight and use it for environmental education purposes.

River Road

• “While we recommend that it be closed to vehicular traffic between Silver Street and Eastern Drive to allow for safe walking and bike riding, there was interest in having it open to one way vehicular traffic during the week but closed to traffic during the weekends to promote more biking and walking,” the commission stated in its report.

A Nature Trail

• The stretch of shoreline between Eastern Drive and Silver Street is an ideal place for a nature trail, commissioners feel.

Silver Street Pier

• The vision for this area is a spot for a small boat launch and parking area, if the shallow water and steep slope meet state requirements at this location.

Union Street: A Gateway

• A gateway to the riverfront

• A way to connect downtown and Wesleyan University to the riverfront

• Better, safer access for pedestrians and bike riders

• More effective way-finding signage

• Commission proposing wide sidewalks with attractive lighting and street trees on both sides of Union Street from Main Street to River Road

• Consideration should also be given to reducing the width of Union Street from four lanes to two between Main Street and deKoven Drive.

What are your hopes for the future of the Riverfront area?