$1M to demolish buildings? Council members question decision

MIDDLETOWN — Council members not in office when the group declared its intent to raze the downtown parking garage seem unsure about supporting the project.

A pair of ordinances securing nearly $1 million in financing and authorizing the demolition of the parking garage and construction of a new surface lot will come before council for debate tonight, April 20, though members won’t vote on the matter until early next month. The Swallen’s building, which adjoins the parking garage, is tentatively included in the demolition proposal.

Fourth Ward Councilman Dan Picard said there are better ways to spend $1 million than “tearing down two structures to leave us with a parking lot.”

“Do I want to spend ($1 million) tearing down two obsolete structures, or do I want to spend it on a potentially successful business venture for the citizens of Middletown?” Picard said. “The city is strapped for cash at this point, and I have a problem with spending a million dollars on something like this.”

On Dec. 1, council unanimously passed an emergency resolution that declared its “intent and desire to demolish the downtown parking garage.”

The work is projected to cost the city about $957,000, according to a staff report. Proposed financing for the project includes a 10-year repayment schedule, with an estimated cost of $115,000 annually.

Russ Carolus, finance director, said opting for 10-year financing rather than 20 years will save the city about $290,000.

Third Ward Councilman Josh Laubach expressed “some reservations about the project,” adding that “it’s a lot of money to spend.”

“I see the draw for future development down there, and it is an eyesore, but I just don’t know that I’m prepared to sign off on that,” Laubach said.

Second Ward Councilman A.J. Smith said tearing the buildings down will save the city money in the long term. He said the $100,000 in annual maintenance costs for the garage would pay for the project in an estimated 10 years.

Council meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Middletown City Building, One Donham Plaza.

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