Lede: Alicia Moreland, director of Community and Economic Development, told the council that the city is actively managing assets and marketing several redevelopment projects, including the city‑owned Town Mall, the Renaissance Point development and a proposed downtown refresh strategy.

Nut graf: Staff said it will pursue an auction/liquidation of Town Mall assets while exploring mixed‑use redevelopment options guided by a public survey; the department reported success attracting EI Ceramics to a local industrial site, laid out a plan to certify shovel‑ready sites, and asked council whether a downtown strategy should be pursued as an area‑wide package rather than isolated building projects.

Body: Moreland said the city formally acquired the Town Mall in 2024 — she described it as roughly 380,000 square feet on about 32 acres — and staff is working with auctioneers, managing winterization and security and preparing asset liquidation and lease transfers. The city conducted an outreach survey with 632 responses and said the top public priorities for any redevelopment are mixed uses that would complement, not cannibalize, the east‑side Renaissance Point project.

She highlighted winning private‑sector activity: EI Ceramics held a groundbreaking, a project Moreland said will consolidate two facilities into one Middletown site, bringing approximately 70 jobs and about $4 million in annual payroll. Renaissance Point — the east‑side mixed‑use project being developed with the Warren County Port Authority — broke ground in mid‑2024 and staff said infrastructure work and private developer planning are advancing.

On the downtown corridor, Moreland presented options to pursue an area‑wide “refresh” rather than piecemeal building rehabilitations. She and council members discussed whether the city should accept demolition of structures with compromised structural integrity as part of a holistic downtown plan. Council members urged a public town hall with property owners, the Chamber, the historic commission and other stakeholders before moving forward.

Staff also reported responding to regional site requests (95 RFIs received via economic development partners; staff qualified to respond to 15 and was disqualified from many requests because of inadequate site acreage or building size). The department is pursuing site certification and remediation grants for infill parcels such as the Paperboard site and is using the city’s BizHub portal to simplify permitting and site development.

Ending: Moreland asked council whether it wants redevelopment done as an area package (preferred by several council members) and whether to accept the potential need to clear some structures. Staff will bring a draft RFP for the Town Mall to council for review, pursue pre‑planning grants for Paperboard and Vail sites, and continue business retention visits.