MIDDLETOWN – If it takes a city to raise a village, Middletown may be off to a good start.
Thursday, shortly after lunch, a ribbon was cut on the Downtown Village, a new mixed-use development with 21 loft-style apartments and three commercial spaces at 22-26 Montgomery Street, formerly an abandoned warehouse.
“We like to restore old properties,” said owner Sal Vasapolli. “And while we were restoring these old properties, we came across this property.”
This downtown area is part of a Transit Oriented District (TOD) with access to a bus station.
Mayor Joe DeStefano said the new apartments will continue to add to the rebirth of the city.
“This is bringing people into the city with some money. These are high rents in this place. Some of these units are going for $2,500 a month. It’s bringing in money. It’s bringing in people.”
DeStefano said the old building has been vacant for well over 30 years and was falling down. The cost to the city of removing this building would have been tremendous.”
Now the former blight may have a transformative effect on downtown, and DeStefano is hoping more money will start coming here with this restoration effort by Vasapolli.
“They’re beautiful,” said DeStefano. “It’s bringing money, it’s bringing people into downtown, into our city. And that money will be spread throughout the city. It has benefits for everyone, and Sal has done a great job here.”
