MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Dozens of residents urged the Middletown City Council on Dec. 2 to place stronger conditions on a downtown redevelopment proposal that could remove the century‑old Manchester building and replace it with mixed‑use housing.

Speakers at a public town hall called for concrete safeguards before any demolition. “No demolition without a firm commitment from a developer,” said Jade Smarta, who asked the city to designate the Manchester block as a historic district so future work would go through historic‑commission review. Members of the Middletown Arts Center and Downtown Middletown Inc. pressed for site changes that maintain visual and physical connections between Dunham Plaza, cultural institutions and the proposed new park.

Why it matters: The Manchester sits at the center of broader downtown revitalization plans intended to attract residents and businesses. Residents said losing the building without strong assurances could erode public trust, and that poor follow‑through on vacant‑property enforcement risks undermining any new investment.

Advocates offered a short list of requests: include citizen representatives in final negotiations, require design standards that reflect historic character, make vacant‑property enforcement a priority, and use any developer commitment as leverage to spur follow‑on projects along Central Avenue.

“I understand that mixed‑use development on a 4‑acre parcel could be the catalyst we need,” Smarta said, while warning that the city should not accept demolition unless replacement plans are guaranteed to move forward. Kate Morrow, director of the Middletown Arts Center, said visitor numbers and community programming have surged and urged that garages and the front face of the Main Street building not create a physical barrier between the Arts Center and new park space. “The MAC is not a theoretical asset. We’re a thriving, active, cultural anchor driving people to downtown right now,” she said.

Developer response: Jim Cohen of CMC Properties acknowledged the community’s concerns and said the materials shown were an early draft prepared in less than two weeks. Cohen described incentives in the term sheet — including tax abatement and tenant‑kitchen support — as common tools to attract the desired mix of retail and institutional tenants and to make financing feasible. He said the word “moratorium” in the term sheet was poorly chosen and that the intent is to concentrate incentives downtown rather than block development elsewhere.

Cohen told council the garages shown on the plan could be relocated to improve pedestrian connections and that the design team would continue work “to come up with a design that people will like.” He encouraged further collaboration with Downtown Middletown Inc., the historic commission and local stakeholders.

Council response and next steps: After public comment the council took a nonbinding straw poll directing staff to continue engaging with the developer on the RFQ. Mayor Elizabeth Slamka and staff said the presentation was a starting point and that more public input and refined designs are expected before any final decisions. Staff set a follow‑up timeline that could bring a formal development agreement back to council in coming weeks or early next year.

What’s next: Council members also asked staff to compile specific design and contract safeguards — for example, drafting language to prevent demolition until financing and construction milestones are secured — and to explore options to add the Manchester block to a local historic district.