“I think there’s a good chance that it could be a new beginning,” he said. “I mean really a once in a lifetime deal to get this done. Where can you walk in and have a baseline to start with of $15 million.”
The parties are still finalizing the details, but Dixon said he believes at least part of the county’s contribution will go toward demolishing the historic Manchester Inn to clear the way for a new mixed-use development.
CMC Properties was the lone developer to submit plans — nothing has been approved yet — for the site of the historic Manchester Inn and the adjacent Sonshine building. The 103-year-old former hotel has been vacant for years, and the developer proposes replacing it with a development similar to the Marcum and its sister project, Rossville Flats, in Hamilton. It is another CMC development that features market-rate apartments and retail space that opened in late 2023.
The Middletown project, called “The Manchester,” would have between 100 to 125 apartments and 10,000- and 15,000-square feet of retail space.
“This is an exciting opportunity to help drive businesses and people into the heart of Middletown,” City Manager Ashley Combs said. “While the terms of this agreement are still being worked out, we’re hopeful this exciting project will help our city continue to rise up.”
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