On April 27, 2023, Vermont‘s Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) announced that $3.97 million have been committed to remediate five brownfields sites across the state.
“This latest round of brownfield remediation projects continues our work of taking previously unusable sites and responsibly redeveloping them to create jobs, housing, and opportunity for economic growth,” said Vermont Governor Phil Scott.
“This is a key component of our strategy to make our communities more vibrant,” he added.
The newly awarded projects include:
Evernorth & Champlain Housing Trust (Colchester)
Award: $1,500,000
Purpose: Redevelopment of former St. Michael’s College dormitories.
Anticipated outputs: 64 residential units, reused infrastructure, remediation of a 3.17 acres site.
561-567 North Main Street LLC (Barre)
Award: $38,107.80
Purpose: Redevelopment of a vacant commercial/residential site.
Anticipated outputs: 5 jobs, 1 unit of housing.
Lamoille Build LLC (Cambridge)
Award: $441,234
Purpose: Redevelopment of the former Jeffersonville Granary and revitalization of the vacant commercial site as a vibrant hub for local food businesses and renewing the property’s agricultural legacy.
Anticipated outputs: 8 jobs, 1.79 acres remediated.
Lake & Maple LLC (St. Albans)
Award: $793,360.80
Purpose: Redevelopment of a contaminated parking lot for housing.
Anticipated outputs: 72 units of housing, 0.97 acres mitigated.
Town of St. Johnsbury
Award: $1,200,000
Purpose: Redevelopment of the 16,700 sq ft former armory building and reuse of infrastructure on a site that has been vacant since 2009.
Anticipated outputs: 2 full-time employees, 1.6 acres mitigated.
Since the Brownfields Revitalization Fund (BRF) – State Program opened in October 2021, nearly $11 million in cleanup funding has been awarded to 25 projects in eight counties (Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Washington, Windham, and Windsor).
The projects combined are anticipated to clean up more than 42 contaminated acres and create 554 jobs and 425 units of housing.
“We are seeing increasing demand for this funding, which can support business retention and expansion, as well as critical housing and mixed-use redevelopments,” said Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein.
“That is why we are asking the Legislature to invest an additional $10 million for this important work,” she continued.
The funding was previously announced by Governor Scott as part of Act 74 and represents the most significant state investment in brownfields sites to date.
Another $6 million was added to the fund as part of Act 183, resulting from the 2022 legislative session.
Historically, remediation projects have been funded exclusively by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In total $15 million was allocated to fund cleanup projects at brownfields sites that can show transformational economic development and/or housing outcomes.
Nearly $11 million has been committed to date.
Featured image is a 1905 postcard showing South Main Street, St. Johnsbury, Vermont. (author unknown)
See Vermont’s Brownfields Revitalization Fund – State Program page.