RAISE grant adds to $19.1 million received to date for municipal water and the reconstruction of Killington Road
By Polly Mikula
The town of Killington was awarded $25 million by the federal government to engineer and construct Phase 2-4 of its Killington Forward development. The town received the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant approval on Wednesday, June 26 in a letter from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and held a special meeting to announce the news Friday, June 28.
“We have up until Sept. 30, 2028, to begin construction and then we have five years to complete construction,” said Killington Town Planner Lisa Davis Lewis, who wrote the RAISE grant application. “The award amount does include engineering costs, so I believe once we engage a project engineer that would be the commencement of the project.”
The $25 million grant for Phase 2-4 will fund Killington Road improvements from The Lookout to Anthony Way. The waterline in through that section will be constructed at the same time, but will be funded through a State Revolving Fund loan.
“This RAISE grant at this point in time is significant and perfectly timed,” said Jepson.
“This grant award clears the way for us to begin these next stages immediately,” said Selectman Jim Haff. “It will speed up the timeframe by at least a few years… particularly the development of workforce housing, which we now don’t have to wait to build.”
Phases 2-4 includes removing the high-speed right-turn slip lane at West Hill Road and replacing it with a new right turn lane, upgraded signal and pedestrian crossing, according to the RAISE grant factsheet.
A new traffic light and pedestrian crossing will be installed at Dean Hill Road. Additionally, about half a dozen crosswalks are planned along Killington Road with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) at locations lacking a traffic light. Bus pullouts and shelters will also be constructed.
An 8-foot wide shared use path will be built along the full length of the west side of Killington Road (approximately 2.7 miles) and a new 6-foot wide sidewalk will be built on the east side from West Hill Road to the Wobbly Barn (1.4 miles) where possible.
Engineering is expected to begin this fall with construction set to begin in 2026.
This was the town’s second year applying for the RAISE grant. Last year, the town also requested the same amount: $25 million, “which is the project max” Lisa Davis Lewis explained, Friday. Last year the town’s application included Phases 1A-4.
“We were denied so we reapplied,” Davis said. “This time only for Phases 2-4 because we could only use it for project funds that hadn’t been incurred.”
Phase 1 of the Killington Forward project is currently underway for both water and road infrastructure. Work at the base of Killington Road where it intersects with Route 4 has been under construction since the spring. That work includes decreasing the steep grade as well as installing dry water lines for future connection. A detour has been in place since April 15.
On July 19 it’s expected to reopen as a dirt road, with paving beginning Aug. 12. Completion of the roadwork from Route 4 to Anthony Way is expected to wrap up by the end of the month.
Phase 1 of the water began over the winter. Crews have built an access road and waterline to the storage tanks south of East Mountain Road and are now working on the northern section that will connect that line to the pump station on Route 4.
Killington Forward: Funding Phases 1-4
Phase 1 is all within the TIF district and will be paid for via the incremental increase of taxes collected on the higher value of the land that Great Gulf plans to develop at the base of Killington Resort. A development agreement between the town and Great Gulf ensures the developer will pay the taxpayer approved loan of $47 million for Phase 1.
However, for Phase 2-4 roadwork the town had yet to seek approval from VEPC.
Stephanie Clarke, vice president of White + Burke, real estate advisor to the Killington Forward project, explained: “Phases 2-4 is part of our Master TIF District, so it is part of the overall TIF district but not part of our first approved phase. So what we got the [$47 million] bond for in March 2023 was for Phase 1, which is the work being done at the bottom of Killington Road to Anthony Way, the top of Killington Road from The Lookout up and the water from The Lookout up … Phases 2-4 we had not yet funded… It could be funded by future development within the TIF district, which is mostly Great Gulf,” she said. But that would likely have required a longer timeframe (as it’s dependent on Great Gulf’s future phases of construction) and/or additional municipal loans. “With this RAISE grant we have reduced that liability,” Clarke explained.
With the $25 million RAISE grant added to the $19.1 million in grants already secured, Phases 1-4 should now be sufficiently funded to begin. (Exact figures won’t be known until engineering of the phased buildout is complete.) Additionally, the town has secured $34.1 million in loans ($15.3 million of water loans at 0% and $18.8 million in road loans at 3.79%).
Abbie Sherman, former executive director for VEPC and current public works director for the town of Killington, outlined the Killington Forward funding sources to date at Friday’s meeting. They included a forgivable loan for Emerging Contaminants and an ARPA grant (from VTANR), a Catalyst/NBRC grant and a Community Recovery & Revitalization Program grant (via ACCD).
Large effort, many thanks
Selectman Haff said the RAISE grant funding would not have happened were it not for the Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) and the town-approved tax increment financing (TIF) district. The town’s designation as a TIF district has since allowed the town to secure all the other grants and loans received — each one building upon the others, Haff said.
“This is huge, but if it wasn’t for VEPC and the TIF district being formed, we wouldn’t be here talking today about this grant or any of the others. Every single time we got one we got someone more interested in being part of this project, because it’s so big,” Haff said.
“There are so many people to thank,” Haff continued. “Governor Scott signed initiatives backing this program… the city of Rutland signed letters on our behalf as did our U.S. congressional delegation because they know that this project is not only good for Killington but the entire Rutland region and probably entire state of Vermont… we are so grateful to all the help and support we received from Stephanie Clarke from White + Burke… from Joan Goldstein and all the folks at ACCD and VEPC… all the folks over at VHB and all the folks over at Dufresne Group group… former Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth was a big part of this in the beginning… then Michael Ramsey stepped in to take over,” Haff continued. “There have been a lot of people who have been involved in this … this RAISE grant is huge, it’s really a big step forward. There are just so many people to thank and we just want to acknowledge everyone.”
Lisa Davis Lewis was thanked several times by multiple people for her work writing the grant.
“Lisa did an amazing amount of work for this and I know there were a lot of people that supported and helped her, too,” said Jennifer Iannantuoni, chairwoman of the Planning Commission.
“Lisa, big kudos for you on all this,” said Selectman Chris Karr, “you put the biggest effort in moving us forward on this. And Michael, for your back up on everything, too. You jumped into the fire right away to make this all happen when you showed up in town,” Karr said, adding that the office team deserves credit for all their support work, too. “This is definitely history in the making.”
Town Manager Ramsey said, “The dedication and the work that the Select Board has put in also needs to be acknowledged. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for you guys.”
Lyle Jepson, executive director of the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region added, “It’s pretty clear that this project is quickly becoming an economic engine for our entire region. I think it’s probably safe to say that we’re going to be talking about this for generations to come. Things don’t happen this fast, normally,” he said. “It is remarkable that the amount of energy that the town is putting into making this public-private partnership work. It’s nice to see all the players here in the room. We have Great Gulf in the room, Killington Resort and the Town: they are really the three-legged stool that is making this happen,” Jepson continued. “This RAISE grant at this point in time is significant and perfectly timed.”
“This is a huge win for the entire region,” said Vermont House Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Chittenden. “Killington is already on the map and this will help accentuate that even more going forward as the development continues and continues… congratulations to the town of Killington and all the parties that have supported it.”
“It’s an honor to be one part of this public-private partnership and to be able to work so effectively with the town, the state of Vermont and now the federal government is a real honor,” said Michael Sneyd, of Great Gulf.
Federal RAISE grant program
Killington’s award was part of a larger $1.8 billion group of awards that went to 148 projects across the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Sanders and Welch helped pass in 2021, the RAISE grant program helps communities rebuild their aging and unsafe transportation infrastructure across the country.
Vermont’s Congressional delegation, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and House Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., pRAISEd the award in a joint press release.
“We cannot bolster our local economies or strengthen community safety, connectivity, and sustainability if we are not paying attention to the essential methods of transportation that Vermonters need in their daily lives,” they stated. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a historic, and greatly needed, investment in America’s infrastructure. We are glad to see the positive impact of this law reaching communities across Vermont, including Killington. This project will help pedestrians and drivers alike with improvements that increase safety, climate resilience, and quality of life.”
Courtesy town of Killington
This chart shows Killington Forward infrastructure funding prior to the RAISE grant award on June 26. The town had $5.7 million in grants as of the bond vote March 2023, $19.1 million as of last December and now it has garnered a total of $44.1 million for its infrastructure plans.
