Nine towns in S. Vermont to benefit from revitalization funds

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Gov. Phil Scott and the Department of Economic Development announced the fourth and final round of Community Recovery and Revitalization Program grant winners. The 40 approved projects are expected to support 1,810 existing jobs, enable the creation of 117 new jobs, build or rehabilitate 75 housing units, and add 60 new childcare slots.

The 40 projects are receiving a combined proposed award amount of $10.6 million, which is expected to support $105 million in total project costs, including one in Brattleboro proposed by nationally known humorist Tom Bodett.

The awards are going to projects in 13 counties and the following 31 towns: Arlington, Bellows Falls, Bennington, Brattleboro, Manchester, Putney, Rockingham, Rutland and Springfield, in southern Vermont, as well as Brandon, Berlin, Burlington, Charlotte, Colchester, East Burke, Fairlee, Greensboro, Hinesburg, Johnson, Lyndon, Middlebury, Milton, Newport City, Shelburne, Sheldon, South Hero, Starksboro, Strafford, Swanton, Vergennes and Wolcott.

The Bodett project is called High Street & Green, a downtown Brattleboro nonprofit creative space that Bodett bought in 2020. High Street & Green will use a $188,312 grant to make further enhancements to the eastern and western faces of the building, upgrade the HVAC system, and remove a broken elevator.

“High Street & Green is fast becoming a creative and cultural mainstay in downtown Brattleboro. With the support of the CRRP program our 38,000 square foot facility is now fully occupied and serving the arts and maker community of our area,” says Bodett. “Public support for these improvements allows High Street & Green to continue to offer affordable rents to its amazing community of artists.”

In Windsor, a $397,588 CRRP grant will help Windham & Windsor Housing Trust and Evernorth build 25 units of affordable housing at a development called Central & Main.

The transformation of this vacant lot will not only support future residents but will also revitalize a brownfield located near the heart of Downtown Windsor,” says Peter Paggi of the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust. “With all the unique challenges of this project, CRRP funding was vital to our project funding and getting us to a construction start in the spring of 2024.”

And Greensboro will use an $800,000 grant to build a new wastewater system to replace septic systems that have exceeded their useful life, posing a risk to the town’s ability to support businesses, municipal facilities, and build housing.

In total, the $40 million CRRP program supported 125 projects over the course of four rounds of funding. Links to all four rounds can be found on the Department of Economic Development website. The first grants were awarded in March 2023.