City officials said the pavers around the City Building and plaza have been a pedestrian safety issue and liability concern for many years. In addition, Adkins previously told council there were post 9/11 building security recommendations, ongoing water leakage issues in the lower level where the Division of Police is located as well as other drainage issues.
Last month, Middletown City Council approved a a contract to begin the design of a number of improvements at the City Building, that would address several concerns, including:
- Deteriorating walkway pavers that have become trip hazards.
- Water runoff in the front of the building that leaks into the Middletown police headquarters, which is directly below the north promenade driveway, and other drainage issues.
- Post-9/11 safety concerns
The first phase of the plan is the north promenade, which is located along the entire north side of the City Building and extends across the existing north driveway. The area is used for access to the north side of the City Building, short-term parking and is the roof for the police offices.
The multi-year project is expected to begin in 2019 with the north promenade improvements that is expected to cost about $500,000.
After the completion of the north promenade improvements, plans are in the works for improvements to the building’s south promenade and plaza over the next several years as funding allows, city officials said. The costs for the building’s south plaza renovations are estimated at between $1.69 million to $2.01 million.
The city building at 1 Donham Plaza opened in 1976 and houses the city’s administrative offices, municipal court, police headquarters and jail, and the Middletown City School District’s administrative offices.
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