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Residents and preservation groups press council on downtown buildings; council signals expedited review and new RFQ
Summary
Multiple residents and preservation groups urged Middletown City Council to preserve four historic downtown buildings and to enforce vacant-property rules; council members and staff described ongoing developer tours, a new RFQ for downtown redevelopment, and proposed changes to the vacant-property ordinance.
Speakers at Middletowns June 17 public comment period urged City Council to preserve historic downtown properties and to take visible steps to address vacant buildings and public-safety concerns downtown.
Gabe Schoenlein, speaking for the South Main and Highlands Historic Association, the Middletown Historical Society and a coalition called Save Downtown Middletown, said council members had signaled openness to demolishing the Manchester, Sunshine, First National Bank and Knights of Columbus buildings and asked council to provide the public with the specific criteria they would use if they decide to vote for demolition in August. "If city council members believe that any of these buildings are structurally unstable, they should present proof to the public before voting on demolition," Schoenlein said. He asked members to declare decisional criteria or state if they had already made up their minds.
Multiple downtown stakeholders backed preservation: Mika…
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