Submitted by katie
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Yellow Barn issues request for proposals for Accelerator Tenants
$8.6 M business accelerator already 70% occupied
Vermont Business Magazine The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), is seeking tenants to lease space in the Hardwick Yellow Barn Business Accelerator & Corporate Campus (aka "Yellow Barn"), which is expected to be ready for occupancy in late spring of 2021. Approximately 3,000 square feet of ground-floor industrial processing space and about 6,000 square feet of second-story multi-purpose space are available. Proposals are due by close of business December 31, 2019.
The Hardwick Yellow Barn will strengthen Vermont's farm and food-based economy by allowing multiple establishments to grow and expand with other entrepreneurs, develop new products, and improve export to external markets. The project will consist of a new two-story 40,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose processing facility and an adaptive reuse of the historic sq. ft. yellow barn - already an iconic presence along the Route 15 gateway to downtown Hardwick.
While the Town of Hardwick will own the site, the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) will manage it. The CAE operates the Vermont Food Venture Center, a business incubator for farm- and food-based businesses immediately adjacent to the site, making Yellow Barn an ideal location for incubator graduates, new and expanding businesses, and endeavors that support market development and research.
Two long-term anchor tenants (cheese producers) are already committed to about 70% of the space, one of which will establish a local food retail destination.
Final selection of accelerator tenants will be based on the applicant's ability to grow the business over a specified period, use the CAE's Business Advisory Services, and further the mission of the CAE. Lease rates are $9.80 per square foot, and terms of the lease can be tailored to meet the unique needs of the tenant.
The full Request for Proposals is available for download from the landing page of the Yellow Barn web site: www.nvda.net/yellow_barn.