www.HartfordBusiness.com • October 14, 2019 • Hartford Business Journal 3
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Up Front
By Matt Pilon
mpilon@hartfordbusiness.com
J
oseph Samolis,
Middletown's
director of planning,
conservation and develop-
ment, finds himself staring down
a long-awaited opportunity.
Five acres of city-owned land abutting the
Connecticut River could soon be open for re-
development, and Middletown officials may
formally seek development proposals next
year, Samolis said.
While the 100 River Road property —
home to an aging sewage pumping station
located a third-of-a-mile south of the Matta-
besett Canoe Club restaurant — is in a flood
zone, which limits development options,
Samolis said it could house a public park
with a music stage, or perhaps even a public
dock that would allow more people to visit
the nearby downtown area by boat.
"Light commercial activity" could also be
possible, he said.
"There's truly a lot of potential," said Samo-
lis, adding that he hopes improving public
access to the riverfront might make other
privately owned land along the Connecticut
River more attractive to developers.
"Those private parcels, we think, will start
to see more interest," he said. "Economic
development, I think, will flourish."
The
city in
recent
years has
assessed
redevelop-
ment pos-
sibilities for
several riverfront
properties just south of the pumping station.
One is the "OMO site" at 50 Walnut St.,
which had been historically used as a dump,
but was remediated five years ago.
A 2014 planning report said the site could
house riverfront parking, a public market, per-
formance spaces, art galleries, and commercial
space near Route 9. The property owner also
suggested a rooftop restaurant overlooking the
water, according to the report.
Another prime site is the former home of
Jackson Corrugated Container Corp., at 225
River Road. Middletown greenlit a sizable
residential community there, but the project
hasn't materialized. A recent zoning change
could open up other development options,
such as mixed-use, should the developer
wish to pursue it, Samolis said.
Site cleanup
The 1960s-era River Road pumping station
is scheduled to be decommissioned by late
Continued on page 4 >>
TOWN PROFILE: MIDDLETOWN
Middletown eyes riverfront
development
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