Business View Civil & Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 11

37 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 including about 40 restaurants. The State of Connecticut also offers Special Districts (SSDs), special taxing, in this area. “We’re seeing a lot of entrepreneurial energy right now,” reports Alexander. “Businesses have a life cycle and since we’ve been here a long time, that lifecycle for us means the next generation steps up. The business doesn’t just close. We have family- owned businesses on Main Street that have been here for almost 100 years. They’re in the second or third generation now, like Amato’s Toy and Hobby of Middletown, Malloves Jewelers, and O’Rourke’s Diner.” Sometimes it’s not even relatives taking over, but “adopted” family members. For example, Eli Cannons Tap Room, which has been purchased by Rocco and Aubrey Lamonia, the former General Manager and Bartender, respectively. Alexander adds, “These institutions are getting a new life; people who’ve worked there for a decade stepping into ownership roles. It’s unusual that our downtown is so robust and independent, but with so few chains. We’re figuring out how to grow past the first business cycle.” Apart from its many businesses, Middletown’s downtown Main Street is surrounded by historic neighborhoods. The university is two blocks up the hill and there is subsidized housing MIDDLETOWN, CONNECT I CUT Liberty Bank: Building the Community Bank of the Future Since our founding in Middletown nearly 200 years ago, we have stood firmly behind our mission to improve the lives of our customers, teammates and communities for generations to come. We are Connecticut’s oldest bank and one of the largest mutual banks in the country. We are owned by our customers, not shareholders. And as our communities’ needs evolved since 1825, we have evolved along with them. Liberty is a leading financial partner with the size and scale to meet all of your banking needs. We are an employer of choice with hundreds of bankers working in Middlesex County and across the state. Liberty is also a community kind bank – dedicating more than $1.5 million annually to local organizations and countless hours of volunteerism. While this has earned us coveted accolades like being named a 2021 Best-in-State Bank by Forbes and a ‘Top Workplace’ every year since 2012, what’s most important for our customers, teammates and communities is that Liberty remains in a position of financial strength, talent and opportunity and focused on building the Community Bank of the future right here in Middletown, Connecticut. ...... or more information on Liberty Bank, please visit our website www.liberty-bank.com #BeCommunityKind Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore