Gov. Phil Scott joined the community of West Windsor to celebrate the success of the Brownsville Butcher & Pantry, located at 871 Rte. 44, which opened in November 2018, during his weekly press conference Friday, Dec. 13.
Through individual, local and state support, the Friends of the Brownsville General Store purchased and redeveloped the vacant building, recreating an economic and community hub in the village.
“Creating vibrant, welcoming villages is critical to keeping young Vermonters here and drawing new families and businesses to Vermont,” said Scott. “Together, this community has proven that solutions start from the ground up — at the local level — and has shown how that vision can and should be reinforced with help from the state.”
The revitalization in West Windsor extends beyond the new store, including the newly launched Ascutney Outdoors, an organization that’s creating a diverse base of activities with a focus on biking and hiking, affordable winter activities, educational programs and community events.
The Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) granted the Friends of the Brownsville Store with over $50,000 in village center tax credits to rehabilitate the building and reopen the store.
“Village stores are important community gathering places where the relationships necessary to make a community a great place to live, work and visit are built,” said Housing and Community Development Commissioner Josh Hanford. “Brownsville residents show us that with hard work, any community can leverage state programs and funding to support local businesses, spur investment in housing, and enhance their vibrancy.”
The Agency of Natural Resources worked with ACCD and the town of West Windsor to deliver $2.4 million in wastewater infrastructure grants and loans to update and extend the existing sewer system throughout the village.
“In Vermont, more than 200 of our downtowns and village centers lack community wastewater disposal systems, creating a barrier to infill development and revitalization,” said Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore. “Wastewater infrastructure tends to be both out of sight and out of mind but investing in this infrastructure is essential to supporting the growth of existing businesses and community centers, as well as opportunities for new businesses and organizations to sustainably take shape. As a state, we are providing communities with technical assistance and help accessing grants and low-interest loans for these sorts of core infrastructure investments which, in turn, supports exciting revitalization projects, like the Brownsville Butcher & Pantry.”
