In Middletown, success starts with a smile.
With the success in developing a bustling downtown and efforts to bolster the economy elsewhere in the city limits, the first step simply is being a friendly place: friendly to the people, friendly to Wesleyan University, friendly to the city’s businesses and friendly to those businesses eyeing Middletown for relocation.
“We don’t throw obstacles in people’s way,” said Middletown Mayor Sebastian Guiliano. “For businesses, we want to guide you through the process. We try to get you to do it right.”
Every month, the downtown businesses have a meeting at the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce. In attendance are the mayor, the police chief, the fire chief, and head of the city health department. And they listen to the many concerns of the business leaders.
“That is a level of cooperation most cities don’t enjoy,” said Diane Gervais, manager of Amato’s Toy and Hobby, located on Main Street in Middletown for the past 71 years. “Everyone has the same goals in mind.”
Gervais said in other Connecticut communities, businesses would be lucky to have a minor level representative of city officials at a meeting of business leaders, much less the heads of all major city departments. Amato’s has a store in New Britain, and Gervais said the company doesn’t enjoy the same dialogue with city officials there.
“In Middletown, the town and the chamber of commerce work very hard to make it very friendly to businesses,” said Roberto Lucheme, owner of Tschudin Chocolates on Main Street.
Not everyone in Middletown though sees the smiling face of the city as helpful.
Tracy Merritt, owner of Definitely Urban Clothing on Main Street, said when he attends the monthly chamber meetings, city officials don’t appear all that encouraging to the businesses on the northern end of the downtown district.
“The city seems mostly concerned with the businesses on the other side of Washington Street,” Merritt said.
The city’s relationship with Wesleyan University from the 1970s to the nearly 1990s was limited with adverse feelings and a strained relationship, said Frank Kuan, executive director at Wesleyan’s Center for Community Partnerships.
That changed when Wesleyan was one of the key institutions to fund the downtown redevelopment, and the relationship blossomed from there, Kuan said. Wesleyan’s senior administration meets with the mayor and other city officials monthly, and Wesleyan plays a role in other community projects, such as the development of the Inn at Middletown hotel and participation in the Middlesex United Way Community Campaign.
“Our relationship is at a good equilibrium,” Kuan said. “While there’s certainly ups and downs, which is to be expected, we do have means to address concerns and resolve issues.”
Wesleyan students, faculty and staff frequent many of the downtown establishments, filling businesses during otherwise off times, Kuan said. Midnight movie premiers at Destina Theatres are popular among Wesleyan’s community, as are bars, restaurants and banks.
Having a positive relationship between the city and its main university benefits both sides, as Wesleyan can sell potential students on the community, and the city businesses get a boost from the economic driver of the university.
“Once we get a Wesleyan parent as a guest, we get them for the next four years,” said Gary Nagler, general manager of the Inn at Middletown, which has 100 guest rooms.
Beyond having city officials friendly and accessible to business, Middletown has several private organizations that help make the city a friendly place, said Rick Kearney, the city’s economic development specialist.
“The chamber of commerce is extremely strong, and they have a very good leadership,” Kearney said.
The Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, headquartered on Main Street in Middletown, has more than 2,500 members and draws from beyond Middlesex County. It is an excellent resource for any would-be Middletown business, Kearney said.
The city of 43,000 also has the Downtown Business District that helps promote the city and keep it open to businesses. The Middletown Small Business Development Center provides one-on-one counseling for entrepreneurs to learn how to grow a business in the city.
Middletown offers up to $2,000 through its Small Business Creation and Expansion Grants Program to help city businesses less than 12 months old pay for fees, utility charges, inventory purchases and the cost of new hires.
“If you have a welcoming business community, the businesses are going to be drawn to you,” Kearney said.
Creating a friendly place for business
