Middletown celebrates transfer of former psych center from state

City of Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano and other dignitaries gathered in front of the Kleiner Center at the former Middletown Psychiatric Center on a sweltering Monday afternoon for a signing ceremony to celebrate the official transfer of the long-derelict property from the state to the city.

With the accelerated expansion of Fei Tian College in progress on the site, the transfer closes a long chapter of abandonment by the state and culminates a venture that city officials began a decade ago.

DeStefano said the city’s assumption of the property will do much for its future.

“One of our visions is to become a younger city with arts and education,” he said. “Colleges bring in people, they bring in money, they bring in private investment. I think this means a lot to this city, especially this neighborhood. In a few years, these buildings won’t be derelict, they will be vibrant.”

DeStefano was joined at the event by Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall), Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, Forestburgh), Middletown Common Council President J. Miguel Rodrigues, and a large contingent from Fei Tian College. The fine arts college has been in Middletown since 2018 and has plans to expand. DeStefano proudly signed paperwork to confirm the sale of the property from the state to Middletown for $1.

The mayor said that the first two buildings on the campus to be revitalized will be Tuckerman Hall and the Kleiner Center, which is named after Alderman Jerry Kleiner’s father Dr. Solomon Kleiner, the clinical director at the hospital for 30 years. These days, the Kleiner Center is a shell of its former self and is littered with broken windows and graffiti. Jerry Kleiner attended Tuesday’s event.

DeStefano said that both buildings could be functional in two to three years and he will explore other economic development opportunities on the property. Middletown Psychiatric Center closed in 2006.

“This is a game changer for the campus,” Skoufis said. “After a decade of waiting, the City of Middletown now has ownership of these 13 derelict buildings and they can be revitalized. It is a big day for the city and I’m just happy that I could be a cog in the wheel that helped make this happen.”