$106K Grant Will Assist

 

Salisbury Sq. Cleanup

The Salisbury Square development in Randolph was advanced this week with the help of a $106,000 state brownfields grant, Gov. Jim Douglas announced last week.

The grant is intended to allow a former industrial site to get new life as housing and commercial space, the governor's office noted. Salisbury Square, which may provide up to 25 homes for purchase and another 12 for rental, would occupy the site of the former Ethan Allen Plant #1. The site is located at the very end of Salisbury Street and also on School Street across from the tennis courts.

The Brownfields Revitalization Fund grant will help pay to clean up the former manufactuting site at Salisbury Square. Initial studies have found contamination at the site to be minimal.

"This proposal will help create much-needed affordable workforce housing and commercial space next to Randolph's downtown," said Gov. Douglas. "This will not only help the town's economy, but will also turn this property into clean, safe housing for residents."

The money will be used by the Randolph Area Community Development Corporation to clean up asbestos in old buildings and remove contaminated soil from the 4.4 acre parcel.

The vacant property was donated to RACDC in 2006 by Ethan Allen Furniture, which operated its manufacturing plant on the site until 1991. The vacant buildings were frequently targets for trespassers and vandals, and one of the warehouses was destroyed by a suspicious fire in December 2007. One of the buildings, the "bookkeeping building," which features a handsome interior, will be refurbished for use, and the others demolished, it is expected.

The Town of Randolph recently received a $30,000 Vermont Community Development Program grant which will be used by RACDC to conduct predevelopment work for the project, such as performing a traffic study, architectural assessment, and other related activities.

"Revitalizing our downtowns by creating housing from a brownfield also helps by increasing local property values," Gov. Douglas pointed out.

The Vermont Economic Development Authority, Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and Agency of Natural Resources recently amended the terms of loan funds that are available for brownfields remediation.

Previously, the loans were available at 4% interest for up to 5 years; now they can be financed at 2% for up to 15 years.

In addition, the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee recently approved a downtown development bill that would make redeveloping brownfields in downtowns and elsewhere easier.

Among its provisions are one to make the Brownfields Advisory Committee a permanent body. Another would allow innocent re-developers of contaminated properties to withdraw from a project if they discover that, through no fault of their own, they cannot complete the project.

Previously, an innocent and well-meaning re-developer who got involved with a contaminated property would be held accountable for clean up regardless of the cost or time required, providing a significant disincentive to attempt cleaning up these properties.

The measure does not shield owners responsible for the release of hazardous substances from liability. For additional information about the brownfields initiative, see the Agency of Commerce and Community Development website at: www.dhca.state.vt.us/brownfields/index.htm.