Business View Civil & Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 11

35 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 MIDDLETOWN, CONNECT I CUT but also huge rural sections.” He maintains there are similar Connecticut towns in size and even demographics, but none have Middletown’s same unique myriad of qualities. Jen Alexander, Chair of the Downtown Business District, agrees, believing a distinguishing factor is the community’s sheer diversity, especially when it comes to its residents. She shares, “Not everybody here is rich and white. It’s one thing to run a successful New England town when it’s a monoculture; but it’s altogether different to have an engaged community when citizens come from different walks of life, economically, racially, and culturally. That’s what’s so exciting about Middletown, because we’re making a go of it but avoiding being gentrified or elitist.” The county perspective aligns with this view. Larry McHugh, President of Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, regards Middletown as the county’s “hub” and a very inclusive, blue- collar community. He emphasizes, “Working together, even at the county level, we made this a good area. The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, the Middlesex County Revitalization Commission (MCRC), and numerous other commissions all collaborate. Wesleyan University is also a vital component that makes Middletown a distinctive community. Not to mention our downtown, and proximity to the Connecticut River.” There are also outlying areas along Interstate 91. This essential roadway goes from New Haven, Connecticut to Springhead, Massachusetts, and it’s along this stretch that the city’s manufacturers are located. Pratt & Whitney, the American aerospace company, has a sizable branch there that employs over 3,000 workers. It’s a active section of the city, but the busiest area by far is the downtown business district (DBD). This section comprises seven blocks and has approximately 200 different businesses, Looking toward the South Green