🔒Middletown’s Charles IT restoring former pharmacy into high-tech headquarters

Longtime Middletown business Charles IT is consolidating its headquarters into a prominent downtown building at the corner of Main and Union streets. The company, which was established in 2006 when founder Foster Charles was still attending Middletown High School, provides IT security services for high-compliance companies in the healthcare, finance, insurance and other industries. And it's been consistently experiencing 20% ​to ​30% annual growth, Charles said, which has grown the company’s employee ranks in Middletown to 130. Charles IT recently opened a second office in Stamford with an additional 25 employees. Charles said his Middletown staff are currently spread across two different leased properties in the town, as the company renovates the former Rite Aid pharmacy at 10 Main St.

“I've ​always ​been ​interested ​in owning ​a ​place ​on ​Main ​Street, ​and ​so ​I've ​looked ​at ​probably half ​the ​buildings,” Charles said. He bought the 30,000-square-foot property in 2023 for $5 million. The company is working on a full renovation with architects Quisenberry Arcari Malik, contractor Olsen Construction and ​Sachem ​Construction ​Consulting. Mondo’s Pizza, which currently occupies part of the premises, will stay. “I ​want ​something ​visually ​stimulating ​for ​Main ​Street,” said Charles. ​"Nobody's ​maintained ​the ​building. ​It ​was ​rough ​and ​I ​just ​wanted ​to ​put ​the ​love ​and ​care ​back ​into ​it.” The interior will be reconstructed with a mezzanine level and include stadium seating around a central jumbotron screen, a vision that was inspired by a visit to Madison Square Garden. “We want to make it highly, highly functional for ​our ​needs ​as ​a ​tech ​company, ​but ​also ​fun ​and ​true ​to ​the ​Charles ​IT ​culture,” said Julia Orosz, an executive assistant who is coordinating the project. The renovation is slated to be complete by early 2026.