A master plan has been unveiled that would reconnect Middletown to the Connecticut River, transforming an underused 220-acre stretch of riverfront land into a mix of uses, including restaurants, multifamily housing, entertainment, recreational trails and a pedestrian bridge leading to downtown. The town has hired the architecture and urban design firm Cooper Robertson to develop a plan for its waterfront, following a yearlong planning process. The plan, called Return to the Riverbend, proposes four separate districts on the waterfront. The design plan was created through a planning process that included comments from more than 1,200 residents during brainstorming sessions, interviews and surveys. Two years ago, residents approved a $55 million bonding package that included $5 million to redevelop the waterfront.

Master plan calls for transformation, new development along 220 acres of Middletown’s waterfront