MIDDLETOWN – The City of Middletown, which is under state order to provide adequate facilities for its courts and has a police department bursting at the seams next to City Hall, will purchase the former Federal Courthouse building at 25 South Street.
State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther announced on Thursday that she secured $2.7 million to purchase and renovate the building, which is only a few years old and was abandoned by the feds last year.
“This building is well-suited for badly-needed city court space, for additional space for the police department, and to continue to foster the economic development of the city,” said Gunther.
The project will address “some critical needs in the city, including overcrowding of the court and police station,” said Mayor Joseph DeStefano.
The funding will come from the state’s 2015-16 budget.
Federal Courthouse
The two city judges are Steven Brockett and Robert Moson. Brockett is enthused about the new facilities.
“We are the busiest local court in Orange County and these facilities were desperately needed,” Brockett said.
The building will cost $2.2 million to acquire with another $500,000 from the state and $650,000 from the city to renovate the building and convert the City Hall courts into police department space. Chief Ramon Bethencourt noted at present, the detective division is in the basement of City Hall and there is no additional room for female personnel lockers. Expanded into court space will greatly enhance the department’s operations, he said.
The new court facilities are expected to be ready for business in January of next year.
