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Senator Metzger and Mayor DeStefano Announce New Parks & Rec Grant Project Underway in Middletown
February 19, 2020
![(L-R): Chief Dominick Blasko (Town of Crawford Police Department, also President of the Police Chiefs Association of Orange County), Senator Jen Metzger, Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano, Middletown Common Council President Miguel Rodrigues, Chief John Ewanciw (Middletown Police Department), and Chief Jeffry Holmes (Walden Police Department).](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/press-release/main-image/city_of_middletown_parks_and_rec_announcement.jpg?itok=wYvPF_jZ)
Middletown, NY...Senator Metzger (SD-42) and Mayor Joseph DeStefano held a press conference today announcing the future home of the City of Middletown’s Parks and Recreation Department. Senator Metzger has nominated the project for $400,000 in funding through the State and Municipal Capital (SAM) program to renovate the property, expanding access to youth recreational space in the community and aiding law enforcement programs across Orange County.
The City of Middletown closed on the new Parks and Recreation property last week, and preliminary restoration and maintenance of the former START Center, located on County Route 78, has already begun. The campus property includes approximately 15 acres, a gymnasium, a 14,000 square-foot main building, plus additional smaller structures and a sports field. Included in the renovation project is a separate building that will be used by the City of Middletown Police Department and the Orange County Police Chiefs Association to run a variety of programs for Middletown and Wallkill youth, and also serve as the new location for the Orange County Police Academy’s basic training operations.
“This project will expand recreational opportunities for our youth, which is so important to their physical, emotional, and social well-being," said Senator Metzger. "Under Mayor DeStefano's leadership, Middletown is making enormous strides in enhancing public access to trails, athletic fields, and green spaces, and I am thrilled to support this effort."
“I want to thank Senator Metzger for providing this much needed funding for the new Middletown Recreation campus, a project that will have a great impact on the youth of the Middletown and Wallkill. This grant will help us get this project up and running by early summer,” said Mayor Joseph M. DeStefano.
The City of Middletown will have a 30-year commitment to remain in the new location.
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