Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) announced the top 12 Vital Projects for the updated Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) on Monday January 12th at the River Garden in downtown Brattleboro.
SeVEDS accepted new projects and updated projects for its first annual update of the regions CEDS. The submission period was open from July 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014. Projects wishing to be included in the updated CEDS were required to provide a project overview including a detailed description of the project, establish that the applicant has the authority, capacity and the wherewithal to successfully implement the project, establish the likely outcome of the project and establish how that outcome is consistent with the goals and strategies of SeVEDS. Any private or public entity or consortium of entities was able to submit a project for consideration. Applications were only accepted from the entity(s) directly implementing the project. Any entity that submitted a project for the 2013 CEDS was required to provide an update on their project for it to be included in the 2014 CEDS. A total of 42 new and updated projects were submitted.
The new and updated project proposals will be included in the first annual update of the regions Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), as required by the United States Economic Development Administration (EDA). While inclusion of a project in no way guarantees funding of any sort, many federal agencies look more favorably upon projects which have the kind of broad support inclusion in a region CEDS indicates. EDA often requires a CEDS be in place for a region in order for a project grant application to be considered.
The CEDS process requires that all projects submitted should be acknowledged in the CEDS. Therefore all submitted projects will be included in the CEDS. However, certain projects have been identified and selected as vital projects. The purpose of this Vital Project list is to publically acknowledge the top submitted projects that will result in the most significant progress towards the Windham region’s economic development goals.
A project selection committee comprised of a small group individuals that represent the region and are firmly established in their field of expertise were chosen by SeVEDS to review, score and rank project submissions received. This committee was made up of Stratton Resort General Manager Sky Foulkes, Strolling of the Heifers Executive Director Orly Munzing, ROV Technologies CFO Jill Zachary, Landmark College’s Jennifer Lann and Sonnax Industries CEO Tommy Harmon. Documents outlining the full project ranking process and scoring criteria can be found at www.seveds.com.
2015 Vital Projects:
- Bellows Falls Area Development Corporation: NEW Island Redevelopment project will remediate approximately 5 acres of downtown brownfields sites into useable industrial space
- SeVEDS Workforce: Job Board for employers in Windham and Bennington Counties will help build the talent pipeline for Windham Region Employers UPDATED
- Ironwood Brand, PreCraft, STIX: Build a rapid prototyping facility at existing shop for prefab high performance building envelopes and resilient mechanical systems UPDATED
- BDCC: extend electric water and sewer to new industrial regional sites UPDATED
- BDCC: assess existing key elements of innovation ecosystem, determine missing elements, research models for missing elements and development of metrics for evaluating success UPDATED
- BDCC/SeVEDS: Southern Vermont Sustainable Recruitment Project for employers and tourism entities – connects to Job Board UPDATED
- Sustainable Energy Outreach Network (SEON): The Board of Directors of the SEON is looking for funding to offset two years of operational expenses and non-employee compensation in support of the current and future activities of the organization. NEW
- Windham Child Care Association: Build a more sustainable childcare system through innovative shared practices to increase overall program quality and earnings, workforce development for childcare workers. UPDATED
- Strolling of the Heifers: Southeastern Vermont Food and Agricultural Innovation Center at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden, 157 Main Street, Brattleboro UPDATED
- Storm Petral, LLC: Storm Petral released two web based software applications in the Spring of 2014. Tempest-GEMS facilitates the financial recovery of governmental agencies and key non-profits after impact from a natural disaster. It manages federally funded reconstruction and recovery grants. NEW
- Rich Earth Institute: Creating a sustainable, regional, urine recycling system NEW
- Windham Regional Commission: Windham Region Village Water and Wastewater Need Assessment and Feasibility Plan UPDATED
- Marlboro College: Marlboro College proposes an entrepreneurial training initiative dedicated to improving the innovation ecosystem of Windham County. Offer support via scholarships for affected VY and supply chain employees interested in uptraining or retraining via our degree options and continuing education offerings. NEW
- Windham Windsor Housing Trust: The NeighborWorks HEAT Squad addresses the challenge of successfully engaging homeowners to complete home energy efficiency projects, which generates: 1) income for contractors resulting in jobs retained and created; 2) reduction in cost of living for homeowners in addition to comfort, health and retained and created; safety, and environmental benefits; and, 3) moves Windham County and the State of Vermont closer to the goal of improving the energy fitness of 25% of the state’s housing stock by 2020. NEW
- SeVEDS Workforce: SE Vermont Machine apprenticeship program UPDATE
- Mount Snow: The West Lake Project at Mount Snow consists of the construction of a 120?million?gallon snowmaking pond and associated components such as pump houses, withdrawal and intake structure, pipelines, snowmaking upgrades, a new lift and infrastructure improvements. NEW
- Mount Snow: The Carinthia Ski Lodge Project at Mount Snow consists of the construction of a three?story 36,000?square?foot ski lodge at the Carinthia Base Area of Mount Snow. NEW
- Mount Snow: The Carinthia Residential Units Project at Mount Snow consists of the construction of a up to 150 residential units at the Carinthia Base Area. NEW
- Vermont Distillers: Feasibility study to determine if adequate facilities exist for expansion of Vermont Maple Cream Liqueur manufacturing facility. UPDATE
- Windham Region Redevelopment Group: Define regional organization structure, conduct market study, conduct regional inventory of vacant commercial and industrial sites. UPDATE
- Wilmington Works: Legal creation of Wilmington Downtown Commercial Redevelopment Project whose purpose is to purchase 10 vacant buildings in downtown and renovate. UPDATE
- Sustainable Energy Outreach Network (SEON): Integrated workforce development system for the sustainable building and design sector in Windham County. UPDATE
- New England Youth Theater: Downtown arts campus – environmental cleanup of two contaminated buildings, construction of a second theater, conference center and outdoor amphitheater, low income housing, gap year professional theater training UPDATE
- Sustainable Valley Group: Green Island Project UPDATE
- Putney Historical Society: Next Stage Arts Project renovation of 15 Kimball Hill. UPDATE
- Latchis Arts: In Repair and Restoration of Façade and Replacement of Windows NEW
- BDCC: Leveraging broadband demand for last mile investments – increase utilization, market high capacity UPDATE
- SeVEDS: Performs analysis on viability of green building products and services cluster development UPDATE
- Landmark College: Landmark College is in the process of formally creating an online learning division within the College, specifically aimed at meeting the needs of students with LD and educators/professionals struggling to best serve students with LD. NEW
- Gathering Place: The Deerfield Valley (DV) region of Windham County (WC) plans to create a Livable Community for All Ages. DV will adopt a phased approach, conducting a feasibility study to establish parameters and timelines, and the development of a foundational Adult Day program. NEW
- Stratton Mountain Resort: Upgrade the Inn at Stratton Mountain UPDATE
- SEVCA/WWIB/SeVEDS Workforce: Job Readiness Program UPDATE
- Stratton Mountain Resort: Upgrade 3 base lodges UPDATE
- Town of Wilmington: Wilmington Water District Merger /Acquisition and Expand Wilmington Wastewater District. UPDATE
- BDCC: Biz network Route 30/West River Valley. UPDATE
- Stratton Mountain Resort: Add additional cell tower. UPDATE
- Southern Vermont Natural History Museum: Feasibility study to determine on logistics and opportunities in SoVT to relocate to accommodate significant growth. UPDATE
- Stratton Mountain Resort: Add 66 units of employee housing. UPDATE
- Arts Council of Windham County and Primetime Concepts: Regional Marketing of the HeART & Culture of Southern Vermont, Official Artisan Center of Southern Vermont facility to promote tourism, Development of SoVT Artisan Trail. UPDATE
- Stratton Mountain Resort: Upgrade Snowbowl lift to high speed quad. UPDATE
- Town of Wilmington: Twin Valley High School Building Feasibility Project phase 2; implement findings of phase 1 feasibility study to repurpose 52,000 sf school building. UPDATE
- Readsboro Hometown Redevelopment, Inc.: Continued restoration of Bullock building as muti use community center in downtown Readsboro. UPDATE
- DJ Engineering: Electric Bike Manufacture. NEW