James Nani
Times Herald-Record

Posted Jul. 6, 2016 at 5:39 PM
Updated Jul 6, 2016 at 7:15 PM

MIDDLETOWN - Speaking inside Middletown's Paramount Theater Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the city has been awarded $10 million from the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative competition.

"The cream really rises to the top, and you really did a good job," Cuomo said.

Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano said the money will be spent in several different areas focused around arts, education and entertainment in the city's Business Improvement District, a 225-parcel area of downtown.

Specifics about how the city will spend the money aren't yet known, but DeStefano said potential uses include redeveloping the Middletown Psychiatric Center and working with The Accelerator, a small business incubator that is planning to expand in the city.

"We're looking to be the hub of the Middletown area," DeStefano said.
In a media scrum after handing over an oversized $10 million check to DeStefano, Cuomo cited Touro College, the expansion of SUNY Orange and Clemson Brewery as some of the existing projects that set Middletown's application apart in the competition.

"We think there's a very high likelihood of success here," Cuomo said.

jnani@th-record.com