If all goes well, within 18 months, this will be the new
Middletown City Courthouse
MIDDLETOWN – The City of Middletown is now the official owner of
the former federal courthouse and adjourning building adjacent to the
Paramount Theater.
The city closed on the purchase with the former private owner of the facilities
on Friday.
Mayor Joseph DeStefano told Mid-Hudson News on Monday that he would hope
to have the building renovated and ready for occupancy within 18 months.
The State Office of Court Administration is insisting that Middletown
have two courtrooms; it presently has one at City Hall with the common
council chambers being used temporarily as a second one. But Albany wants
the city to have two permanent courtroom, which would necessitate construction
of an addition on the newly acquired building.
DeStefano is hoping that court administration will give the green light
to move forward with the plans.
“We are trying to accommodate the Office of Court Administration
and we are trying to meet the mandate, which we will meet of adding a
second court. We are confident that if we work closely together with them,
we will be able to do everything at one site, and that is the goal of
the Office of Court Administration and of the city,” he said.
Most of the funding for the purchase and renovations has been provided
by the state through a grant secured by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther.
