Middletown Seeks To Develop Rt. 36 Corridor, Public Meeting Thursday

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown Township is moving forward on a plan to open up the Rt. 36 corridor to redevelopment. To that end, the Township will hold a public information session this Thursday night, March 16, where a presentation will be given that covers the redevelopment process.

The public information session will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Port Monmouth VFW post on Rt. 36.

According to Mayor Tony Perry, the Township has identified 90 properties along the Rt. 36 corridor that it says could qualify as areas in need of redevelopment. The Township has started the process of notifying those property owners.

The Township hired T&M Associates to do a redevelopment study for those properties along Rt. 36. If Middletown declares any of those properties an "area in need of redevelopment," it gives the Township key power to make zoning changes. Middletown hopes that developers will come in and pitch suggestions to develop along Rt. 36, an area some Middletown residents have described as an "eyesore," or full of vacant and shabby storefronts.

"We want to improve and beautify the Rt. 36 corridor and attract new businesses there," said Perry.

In the summer of 2020, the developers of the controversial Village 35/Shoppes at Middletown project — which would have included a drive-in movie theater and Wegman's grocery store — pulled out and announced they would not be coming to Rt. 35 in Middletown. They cited economic fall-out from the COVID pandemic.

Perry said Tuesday that Village 35 has made no such proposal since to reopen anywhere else in town, including on Rt. 36.

Here's what Middletown Township wrote about Thursday's public info. session:

"At this public information session, there will be a brief presentation that covers the redevelopment process, the Route 36 Corridor Study Area, and next steps followed by a Q&A. We hope to see you there!"

Wegmans Pulls Out, Village 35 No Longer Coming To Middletown (Sept. 2020)