On April 25, 2019
Local News

Butternut Inn and Castleton University sign letter of intent

By Polly Mikula

The Butternut Inn will be the new home for Castleton University’s School of Resort Management program in Killington, according to a letter of intent signed by Jim Haff and his wife Mary, with Castleton University.

Haff, the owner of the Inn and member of the Killington Select Board, made the announcement to the Killington Planning Commission on Wednesday, April 24.

The lease would be for a seven year period with the option for two renewal terms of five years each. The leases occupancy is for a maximum of 36 students and staff in 18 rooms and 40 parking spaces – all which is already permitted for the Inn’s Act 250 permit, Haff said. (The permit allows for up to three people per room or a maximum of 54 guests.)

The Inn will be used for Castleton University lodging, dining and academics.

“We have come to an agreement, we have a letter of intent and are working toward a lease,” Haff said. “I expect it to be finalized in the next few days,” he told the Mountain Times on Thursday, April 25.

Plans are for Castleton University to take the premise over no sooner than July 1 and no later than August 1 so they can be up and running for fall semester, Haff added.

Haff plans to replace the Inn’s roof, redo the exterior paint/siding and replace the windows – work will begin as soon as the lease is signed. “I will also contact appropriate agencies to verify that everything is up to date,” he added.

Castleton expects the School of Resort Management program to grow and has talked about upping enrollment to 60 students, but details of that expansion are not worked out yet, Haff said. “There is room for some expansion within the Inn, but we’re not discussing those details quite yet.”

Haff has ran the Butternut Inn for over 11 years, having bought it on Halloween 2007. When asked what he plans to do with his time now, he simply shrugged and said, “there are so many thing I could do! Let’s wait until the lease is signed.”

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Beast Week celebrates the team behind the mountain, Feb. 8-14

February 8, 2025
By Brooke Geery, Killington Resort With winter well underway, The Beast is running like a well-oiled machine, thanks to its dedicated and enthusiastic team. It takes a lot of people to keep things going. In fact, Killington Resort is one of the largest employers in the state of Vermont with over 1,500 employees during the…

Ice fishing fest reels in hundreds for frozen fun in Barnard

February 5, 2025
By Ekaterina Raikhovski Editor’s note: This story is via a partnership with Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship Christian Poupart grew up in Contrecoeur, Quebec, a small city where “there’s more people on the ice during the winter than in the village.” But even people like Poupart, who’s been ice fishing his…

Rudolph Michael, 86

February 5, 2025
Rudolph “Rudi” Michael passed away on Jan. 20. A free and uninhibited spirit, Rudi was a jester and mentor to a large circle of close and devoted friends, young and old, who join in remembering him for his generosity and his rascally humor. Rudi was born July 1, 1938, in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, the second…

RRMC unveils first Mamava Lactation Pod in Rutland County

February 5, 2025
Rutland Regional Medical Center (RRMC) installed the first Mamava Lactation Pod in Rutland County on Jan. 27, offering a private and accessible space for nursing parents. The state-of-the-art pod is located on the main level near the Allen Street entrance and accessible via the Mamava app. The initiative began in September 2024 when a new…