Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano spoke at the Wesleyan Center for Community Partnership Friday as part of a series of talks on social change. A sizeable crowd gathered to hear Giuliano speak on the relationship between the town’s residents and members of the University community.

“Through the 1950s and 1960s, Middletown’s attitude toward Wesleyan was somewhat possessive, but the relationship soured in the late ’60s,” Giuliano, a Middletown native, said.

He indicated that the University’s political shift to the left during the 1960s was one way it isolated itself from Middletown citizens.

“Today the relationship is improving,” he said.

Regardless of the relationship’s nature, Giuliano said the University’s influence and impact on Middletown is undeniable. While many cities the same size as Middletown are in very bad shape, Giuliano cited the University, along with Route 9 and the Connecticut River, as key beneficial influences upon the community.

“We are a university town,” Giuliano said. “And I think the imprint has been positive, for the most part.”

Giuliano maintains that his working relationship with the University is still in its early stages. He was elected last fall after beating out incumbent Domenique Thornton. Thornton had an eight-year history of collaborating on projects with the University, including the creation of the Green Street Arts Center.

“We’re sort of feeling each other out still,” Giuliano said, referring to the interactions between himself and the University. “I was a question mark to [the administration], but I think they are [now] comfortable with me.”

Giuliano then opened up the remaining portion of the hour to questions from those in attendance. Several questions focused on Main Street as a viable commercial center, especially in regard to student needs.

“Retail is tough everywhere since a lot of it has gone to the malls,” Giuliano said. The biggest hurdle appears to be limited parking, but the mayor’s office hopes to alleviate the problem with new facilities in the near future. Giuliano did emphasize his satisfaction with the quality, quantity, and diversity of Main Street restaurants.

“What we’re looking for downtown is the small shop attractive to the pedestrian,” he said.

The problems plaguing Middletown’s rougher areas also came up. Specifically, some of those in attendance expressed concern about safety in and around the pedestrian tunnel that runs under Route 9.

“The tunnel’s been a problem since day it was built,” Giuliano said.

Giuliano suggested the reputation of the North End is changing due to investments in the area and the future completion of large-scale housing units. Some questions were then raised about how the residents of the North End would be handled, if and when they can no longer afford their own neighborhood.

“Some investors are looking to go upscale,” he said. ‘We’re fine with that.“

When asked how students could best interact and help the community they live in, Giuliano stayed simple and positive.

”Just get to know the people,“ he said.

”I think he was great,“ said Amelia Long ’06. ”The 1960s moment was kind of awkward, and highlighted a possible conservative streak.“

WSA Community Outreach Chair Nora Connor ’07 said she thought the mayor was very reasonable.

”He seemed very open to suggestions for Wesleyan,“ she said.