New York architect and urban design firm Cooper Robertson is leading a master plan process for Middletown’s 200-acre riverfront district, which was cut off from the rest of the city by construction of the Route 9 highway in the 1960s. Image courtesy of city of Middletown
Construction of state Route 9 walled off downtown Middletown from the Connecticut River in the 1960s, a transportation design choice that’s shaped the area ever since.
City officials have in recent years made a priority of reconnecting the 200-acre section east of the highway with the rest of the town, while encouraging redevelopment of the declining industrial area with uses such as a hotel, a marina, housing and recreation space.
“Economic development in this area can be a real driver for the city in the future,” said Larry McHugh, president of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce. “You can’t create riverfront. You can’t create views, and all of that is there.”
Planning studies for the area go back more than two decades, but the process gained fresh momentum last fall when Middletown voters approved a $55 million bond issue that includes funding to pay for environmental cleanups of brownfield parcels and private property acquisitions.
Previously planning studies focused on small subdistricts of the waterfront. During a series of charrettes in the past year, residents asked city leaders to think big.
“People were looking for a riverfront redevelopment to pursue, and they were looking for a larger, comprehensive plan,” said Joseph Samolis, the city’s director of economic and community development.”
Removal of Sewage Plant Marks Milestone
Multifamily developers have expressed interest in the area in recent years, but plans never got past the early stages. Another lingering obstacle was the location of the city’s sewage treatment plant on River Road.
The facility was decommissioned this year after Middletown tied into a regional wastewater treatment plant in Cromwell, freeing up the prime waterfront parcel for redevelopment.
The city also has acquired parcels totaling 9 acres in recent years, containing a mix of industrial and residential buildings, and has two other properties spanning nearly an acre under agreement.
The city selected New York architect and urban design firm Cooper Robertson from a field of 21 applicants to lead the master plan. The process will begin with public outreach sessions in late summer or early fall.
Mike Aziz, a partner and director of design for Cooper Robertson, said the treatment plant property offers “an amazing piece of property. Getting rid of that use on the waterfront was a major investment made by the city and its residents.”
But the area also has its challenges, most visibly in the form of the four-lane highway. River Road is the only street connecting the parcels to the rest of the city via an underpass, although pedestrians can access the area through a tunnel at the end of Washington Street in the downtown area.
“Route 9 is a major barrier, so we’ll be looking at all options for improving the connections,” Aziz said. “The overarching goal is to create a mixed-use extension of downtown, and a balance of new development, public open spaces and natural features.”
Cooper Robertson will present recommendations for uses and new zoning following the community engagement process.
“What we’re looking for is to make sure that it’s complementary to what we have already going on downtown, as well as joining together the neighborhoods along the riverfront,” Samolis said.
McHugh, the chamber president, said the district could be attractive for uses including restaurants, retail shops, a marina and hotel and high-end housing.
“We’ve had a lot of planning and charrettes, but in this case we’ve got to get it to the finish line and get a shovel in the ground. That’s been the missing point over all of these years,” he said.
