Facts About Middletown, Connecticut

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Middletown, the hub of Middlesex County, is located on the Connecticut River, with easy access to major highways, airports, railroads and other modes of transportation.  Our city's forty-two square miles include rural, suburban and urban settings, an historic downtown and large city-owned parks and open spaces.  When considering a new location for business, employment or  residence, please take a good look at Middletown and see what we have to offer!

What do you get when you combine

•        a location in the center of the richest state in the nation;

•        direct access to the Interstate Highway System;

•    over 2,000 acres of land zoned for commercial and industrial land uses; and  an aggressive pro-business administration, with numerous tax and business incentives and a streamlined permitting process?

Middletown, CT is finding this ideal mix leads to an expanding grand list and hundreds of new employment opportunities in this small city of 48,000.

William Warner, Director of Planning, Conservation, and Development, indicates that Middletown's success is based on sound land use planning.  Whether it is developing industrial parks, buying open space, or building bike paths to improve the quality of life in the City, Middletown has been on the forefront since establishing one of the first planning commission's in the Country in 1931.

This planning has put Middletown in the enviable position of having 31% of its grand list comprised of commercial and industrial uses.  This grand list includes companies such as Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Aetna/US Healthcare, Northeast Utilities, Aerospace Techniques, and MiddleOak.

At the same time the City understands that its size places the City in a precarious position.

•   Middletown has six times as much residential land as commercial and industrial land available for development;

•   For every dollar Middletown receives from residential it spends $1.32 in services representing a net loss (due to school costs) and; 

•        For every dollar Middletown receives from commercial and industrial uses it spends $0.54 representing a net gain (due to the need for limited service).

Therefore, Middletown has a policy of de-emphasizing residential growth by buying open space in residential zones and aggressively promoting the development of commercial and industrial land.  This policy has resulted in the acquisition of over 2,500 acres of open space.

With regard to commercial and industrial development, the recent past has seen a complete turn around in the historic downtown.  

The Central Business District has experienced a renaissance with the opening of over thirty new restaurants along with retail stores and entertainment venues.  Downtown is home to over 8,500 employees.  The Downtown Business District was formed to enhance the downtown through street beautification, public safety, marketing and business recruitment.

The City constructed a new $10 million police headquarters with First & Last Tavern on the Main Street floor.  Additional downtown development includes: the Inn at Middletown in the renovated historic National Guard Armory; a twelve screen cinema; Kidcity Children’s Museum doubling in size; rehabilitation of housing into the North End Artist Cooperative and creation of the Green Street Arts Center by Wesleyan University.  The award winning Liberty Square and Landmark Square have newly constructed mixed use buildings with over 50,000 square feet of retail and office space.

Wesleyan University has completed a $280M campus renewal plan.  Middlesex Hospital built a new 35,000 sf Emergency Department and continues to renovate the main hospital campus.  Over 250,000 sf of new medical offices have opened along the Saybrook Road Medical Corridor.

Development in the outskirts of the City is no less impressive.

Over a million new square feet of office and industrial space was constructed in the I-91 Interstate Trade Zone.  New companies relocating to Middletown include: Norpaco, xpedx, Aerospace Techniques, Pegasus Manufacturing, Shelco Filters; Northeast Quality Services and Liquid Plastics.  Middletown companies expanding include: Habasit ABT; AI Engineering and Consulting Engineering Services.

Demand for industrial and commercial sites has prompted the creation of new industrial subdivisions at Millennium Business Park and Liberty Commerce Park.  Centerpoint Executive Park is developing office condominiums.  Roscommon Park has a fully approved site plan for 300,000 sq. ft. of office space and a 400 room hotel and conference center.

New commercial and retail construction along Route 66 includes, Price Chopper Supermarket, Aldi, CVS, Dunkin’ Donuts and Five Guys Burgers & Fries.

Utility companies are expanding in Middletown.  Kleen Energy is constructing a 720MW electricity power plant.  NRG is expanding capacity by building a 200 MW peaker electricity power plant.