Hochul meets staff at Equilibrium Brewery
MIDDLETOWN – Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul left Middletown City Hall on Monday following a briefing about the city’s plans to spend a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative very impressed with the progress the city has made already and the plans to spend the state grant to further its redevelopment.
Mayor Joseph DeStefano filled Hochul in on the many projects on the drawing boards from building a parking deck to accommodate visitors to the Paramount Theater, more housing and transportation opportunities to redeveloping the long-vacant Woolworth building on North Street.
The lieutenant governor was enthused by what she heard and saw.
“Having the theater, having the incubator, having the brewery, having the downtown housing, having the vision to deal with your parking challenges, because once you are successful, if you want to be here, they also don’t want to deal with parking or transportation. So your buses are great,” Hochul said. “Also knowing your community’s population is expanding because you are being very welcoming. People from different backgrounds able to find a home here is going to add to the great diversity.”
DeStefano is ready to make the city shine with the state money.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime and we are not going to blow it,” he told her.
Following the briefing, the officials walked over the new Equilibrium Brewery for a tour and a sample of their craft beer.
