On November 3, 2023, Governor Phil Scott and the state’s Department of Economic Development announced that Vermont is committing $4,058,184 from the Vermont Brownfields Revitalization Fund.
The fund promotes the productive reuse and revitalization of contaminated sites to cleanup properties in Hardwick, Barre, Newport, Burlington, Fairlee, Rutland City, 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 advance,” he added.
Here are the winning projects:
Location: Hardwick, Caledonia County
Award: $1,200,056
Purpose: Redevelopment of a former automotive repair station
Anticipated outputs: 25 full-time employees; reused infrastructure; 4.7 acres mitigated
Turning Point Center
Location: Barre, Washington County
Award: $566,433
Purpose: Relocation and expansion of services for those suffering from substance use disorder
Anticipated outputs: 4 full-time employees; reused infrastructure; expanded programming; .4 acres mitigated
Gilman Housing Trust
Location: Newport, Orleans County
Award: $168,506
Purpose: Newport Crossing campus redevelopment
Anticipated outputs: Reused infrastructure; 3 units of housing; .27 acres mitigated
Champlain Housing Trust
Location: Burlington, Chittenden County
Award: $1,052,692
Purpose: Post Apartments redevelopment; a mixed-use commercial/community and housing project
Anticipated outputs: 13 full-time employees; reused infrastructure; .58 acres remediated; 38 units of housing
Golden Junk, LLC
Location: Winooski, Chittenden County
Award: $253,712.70
Purpose: Redevelopment of a former automotive repair station
Anticipated outputs: 10 full-time employees; reused infrastructure, on a site vacant since 2015; 0.2 acres mitigated; 2 units of housing
512 Main, LLC
Location: Fairlee, Orange County
Award: $16,785
Purpose: Redevelopment of a blighted vacant gas station
Anticipated outputs: 5 full-time employees; reused infrastructure, on a site vacant since 2013; 0.2 acres remediated.
Vermont Farmers Market Education Center, Inc
Location: Rutland City, Rutland County
Award: $800,000
Purpose: Redevelopment of Farmer’s Hall, a 14,750-square foot, vacant commercial space
Anticipated outputs: 21 full-time employees; reused infrastructure, on a vacant site; 2.93 acres mitigated
“These brownfield grants are an invaluable economic development tool,” said Commissioner Joan Goldstein of the Department 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,” she continued.
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is an important partner in brownfield remediation providing expertise and technical assistance for the redevelopment of a contaminated property.
Since the state Brownfields Revitalization Fund (BRF) opened in October 2021, nearly $15 million in cleanup funding has been awarded to 32 projects in ten 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+ jobs and 468 units of housing. Historically, remediation projects have been funded exclusively by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Photo of North Main street of Hardwick, Vermont is by Dave Mitchell via Wikipedia.
Learn more about the Vermont Brownfields Revitalization Fund.