MIDDLETOWN – The long-abandoned and damaged O&W Railroad Station in Middletown appears headed for a rebirth thanks in large part to state and federal funding.
Mayor Joseph DeStefano said State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunter has secured $2 million in budget money and the city’s federal relieve package will contribute $3 million with other funding sources to be explored.
The mayor said the project is coming together because the ABC Head Start Program, which supports migrant farm children, is a major component of the plan.
“It makes the federal and state funds eligible for this rehab. It is in the lowest income census tract in the city and will have a positive effect on that surrounding area and the whole community, and of course, the benefit to the farm community because the program is directed toward children of migrants,” he said.
The mayor said the city would need to contribute $1 million to the project to make it whole.
