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current
initiatives
• NORTH
END
HOUSING
REDEVELOPMENT
•
COMMUNITY
POLICING
•
NORTH
END
BUSINESS
GROUP
•
XO
LAPTOP
PROJECT
•
Macdonough School
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north end
housing redevelopment
Redevelopment of substandard housing in the Ferry, Green, and
Rapallo blocks of the North End was determined by NEAT's
membership to be a primary goal in l997. In l998 NEAT
initiated a housing committee that included neighborhood
leadership, housing specialists, and key community partners to
develop a plan to address the housing needs of the
neighborhood. Nehemiah Housing Corp., The Connection Fund,
Alderhouse Residential Communities, Inc., Habitat for
Humanity, Liberty Bank, and Wesleyan University
representatives worked tirelessly over many years to develop a
responsible plan based upon input from the Yale Urban Design
Workshop and from The Middletown Report emanating from a
charrette undertaken in l999 in collaboration with the Yale
Urban Design Workshop, the City of Middletown, and other
community partners. The plan developed by The North End
Housing Initiative (NEHI) made up of the neighborhood,
non-profit housing developers, Wesleyan, and Liberty Bank was
adopted by the Redevelopment Agency and the Common Council and
officially adopted as the plan for neighborhood redevelopment.
NEHI gained preferred developer status to undertake the plan,
however, the LLC was unable to secure the tax credits needed
to finance the development. In 2004 The Richman Group of
Greenwich and Broad Park Development Corporation of Hartford
became designated developers of rental (Richman) and
homeownership
In March of 2006, demolition of the entire
north side of Ferry Street, excluding 4-unit 38 Ferry Street
(owned by Nehemiah Housing Corporation) took place to make way
for Wharfside Commons, an affordable housing community of
96-units expected to open in late 2006 for residents of up to
60% AMI. Broad Park Development Corporation is expected to
build up to 44 units of homeownership in the same geographic
area beginning in 2006. NEAT has a memorandum of understanding
with the City of Middletown and both developers on the housing
development project.
The quest to develop affordable and mixed
income housing in the east of Main neighborhood has been long,
contentious, and controversial. NEAT members are optimistic
that the goal of providing housing that is safe, well-managed,
attractive and affordable to low and moderate income levels
will comply with community-directed priorities and that a
reduction in chronic public safety problems in the
neighborhood will become a positive exponent of an improved
housing stock.
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community
policing
Ten Point Community Policing Plan: In 2000
NEAT, the United Way, and the Mayor's office convened
community town meeting to address public safety concerns in
the North End. The event, held at Trinity Church and
facilitated by Reverend Maggie Minnick and Kevin Wilhelm of
the United Way, attracted over 100 participants, including
city officials. The forum produced specific guidelines from
which to proceed to develop solutions to chronic neighborhood
problems.
The North End Community Policing and Code
Enforcement Committee, composed of North End residents,
organizers and a wide collaboration of municipal leadership
under the leadership of Susan Cole developed the Ten Point
Community Policing Plan. The plan was informed by a community
research project undertaken by Wesleyan students who examined
perceptions and expectations of both police officers and
residents of the North End. The Mayor, the Public Safety
Commission, and the Common Council approved the plan in July
of 2003.
The North End Community Policing and Code
Enforcement Committee meets monthly on the first Wednesday of
each month at 12 noon at the Green Street Arts Center. NEAT
submits a monthly list of hot spots submitted by residents,
business people, and stakeholders, that reflect public safety,
health, sanitation, building code, fire code, and nuisance
problems. A municipal task force made up of code officials
meets monthly to coordinate efforts to address public safety
and code issues in the neighborhood and reports to the larger
committee monthly.
To report a hot spot e-mail NEAT at
neatmiddletown.org or call 346-4845 and leave a confidential
message. All reports remain confidential unless otherwise
requested.
NEAT members have been diligent
about reporting crime and areas of concern to the police and
other city agencies.
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north end
business group
The North End Business Group is focused
upon developing a vibrant and successful business district
that encourages North End business owners to work collectively
on projects that will benefit the district and its individual
businesses and reinforces the neighborhood's distinct assets.
The Committee is working closely with the Downtown Business
District and the Chamber of Commerce.
The Business Group has sponsored Light Up
The North End Night during the winter holiday season and
mounted banners on the 21 lampposts on the North End of Main
Street in May of 2006. A Kinetic Sculpture Contest took
place on the sidewalks and common areas of the North End in
May, 2006. Other, regularly scheduled, seasonal events are
planned.
To become involved in the North End Business
Committee contact NEAT at 346-4845.
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xo laptop
one laptop per
child
"It's an education project, not a laptop project" -
Nicholas Negroponte, Founder
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