Castleton hosts grand opening for new downtown apartments

Thursday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m.—RUTLAND—Castleton welcomes the greater Rutland community to come celebrate and gain an inside look at the university’s newest Rutland project, as it hosts a Grand Opening for its new downtown apartments on Sept. 15 from 4-6 p.m. in the Clement Building at the corner of Merchants Row and West Street.
The event will kick off with remarks by Castleton President Dave Wolk, building owner Mark Foley Jr., Rutland Mayor Chris Louras, and Steve Costello of Green Mountain Power, all collaborative partners in the project. The open house will also feature a ribbon cutting, apartment tours, and light refreshments.
“We see this as an exciting addition to our current housing options, to Castleton’s Rutland presence, and to the Solar Capital of New England and Energy City of the Future,” said Wolk, adding that the project represents a major commitment to Rutland, and would be followed by additional projects. “Our foundation will always be in Castleton, a place with more than 225 years of history and a bright future, but we will create our future growth in Rutland, strengthening our relationships and forging new opportunities for our students to make a difference.”
Located in the heart of downtown Rutland, the two-floor, efficient apartment space is currently housing 40 Castleton students, and turns space that has been previously empty for decades into a prototype for downtown redevelopment and energy innovation. The sixteen apartment units are complete with kitchens and living space, as well as a shared common space and laundry on the second floor.
Castleton partnered with GMP, Efficiency Vermont, and Foley to incorporate high-tech energy innovations in the space located on the second and third floors of the Clement Building, which sits at the northeast corner of West Street and Merchants Row. The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Rutland Partnership, and Little Harry’s Restaurant occupy the entire first floor.
The downtown student housing is the latest in the university’s ongoing expansion into Rutland, which already hosts Castleton Downtown, the Castleton Polling Institute, the Castleton Center for Community Engagement, Spartan Arena, and several downtown art spaces including the Castleton Downtown Gallery.
A recent partnership with the Rutland Economic Development Corporation has further solidified Castleton’s commitment to being an economic and intellectual driver in the region.