Award is part of state’s $4 million in Brownfield Revitalization Funding
Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Economic Development announced Friday, Nov. 3, that the state is committing $4,058,184 from the Vermont Brownfields Revitalization Fund that promotes the productive reuse of contaminated sites to cleanup properties in Rutland City, as well as Hardwick, Barre, Newport, Burlington, Fairlee, and Winooski.
“Cleaning up unused brownfields and turning them into economic opportunities has been a priority for my team,” said Governor Scott. “Transforming these brownfields into job creators and much needed housing is exactly the kind of work Vermont needs to advance.”
The Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) in Rutland will use its awarded $800,000 for the redevelopment of Farmer’s Hall, a 14,750-square foot, commercial space that has been vacant since late January 2022.
The funding anticipated aiding a project that will support 21 full-time employees; reuse infrastructure, and mitigate 2.93 acres.
Other projects awarded include:
Town of Hardwick was awarded $1,200,056 to redevelopment of a former automotive repair station
Turning Point Center in Barre was awarded $566,433 for relocation and expansion of services for those suffering from substance use disorder
Gilman Housing Trust in Newport was awarded $168,506 to redevelop Newport Crossing campus
Champlain Housing Trust in Burlington was awarded $1,052,692 to redevelop Post Apartments a mixed-use commercial/community and housing project
Golden Junk, LLC in Winooski was awarded $253,712.70 for the redevelopment of a former automotive repair station
512 Main, LLC in Fairlee was award $16,785 for the redevelopment of a blighted vacant gas station
“These brownfield grants are an invaluable economic development tool,” said Commissioner Joan Goldstein of the Dept. of Economic Development. “The Department of Economic Development is devoted to creating more opportunities for business, housing, and employment in every town in this state, and our Brownfields Revitalization Fund is helping us get this important work done, rehabilitating these properties so they can contribute to their local economies.”
Since the state Brownfields Revitalization Fund (BRF) opened in October 2021, nearly $15 million in cleanup funding has been awarded to 32 projects in 10 of Vermont’s 14 counties (Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor). The projects combined are anticipated to clean up more than 51 contaminated acres and create 632-plus jobs and 468 units of housing. Historically, remediation projects have been funded exclusively by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, visit: vermont.gov.
