The City of Middletown has engaged Spectra Construction & Development to produce plans for the property between the Middletown Police Department and deKoven Drive. A 2-level parking arcade occupied this site until 2018, when the deteriorating arcade was demolished. The property in its current condition is shown below, looking from Sgt. Dingwall Drive toward the Superior Court building and the Connecticut River.
At a recent meeting of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, Spectra presented preliminary renderings of one vision for the property. The preliminary nature of these drawings needs to be underscored, because this vision depends upon the City being successful in its effort to acquire the property owned by ATD (Attention to Detail) at the corner of Dingwall Drive and deKoven Drive, shown here.
Below are some of the renderings that Spectra shared at the Chamber of Commerce meeting. (We have permission to share these with our readers.) Continue reading
After a long delay, the residents of Chatham Court (Portland Housing Authority) now have a sidewalk leading to Marlborough Street. This project, proposed in 2019 by former First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield and Portland’s Complete Streets Group, provides residents with pedestrian access to medical offices, food shopping, and more. We appreciate the initiative of current First Selectmen Ryan Curley and Public Works Director Ryan O’Halpin, who persuaded property owners on Riverside Street to grant easements for sidewalk construction and relocation of some utility poles.
The town was also previously awarded a Community Connectivity grant to provide better accessibility in the area of the Chatham Court apartments. (Photo at left.) This includes a new bus stop and sidewalk on Riverside Street and a short sections of Airline Avenue, Marlborough Street, High Street, and Freestone Avenue (Below is a map showing the larger area of these improvements.) The project will also replace badly damaged sidewalks along High Street going towards Valley View School and Portland High School as well as updating the sidewalk and ramps to be ADA compliant. There will be a redesigned pedestrian crosswalk and an updated signal at the complicated intersection of Marlborough Street (Rt. 66) & High Street. As shown below, this area is also significant because of the possibility of a future extension of the Air Line Trail across this intersection. Construction is planned for the fall of 2023. 
