The 2019 Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy was accepted by the EDA in 2019.
As referenced in our application for funding to conduct the work and create this new CEDS, the 2019 plan created by Windham and Bennington County stakeholders is a long term strategy to grow the Southern Vermont Economy Zone – a region facing significant economic challenges established by the Vermont State Legislature in 2015. The 2019 Zone CEDS is intended to replace the 2014 Windham Region S.M.A.R.T. CEDS.
The 2018 Southern Vermont Economy Summit at Mount Snow in May served as a kick off for the overall project. Following this event a series of fifteen public input sessions through Bennington and Windham.
The project was undertaken from November of 2017 through May of 2019 and a draft document was published for 30 day comment on January 7, 2019 after a public presentation in Wilmington, VT. BDCC received comment from Michael Walker from the Town of Pownal.
All process and focus group materials related to the 2019 Zone CEDS are hosted digitally at www.SoVermontZone.com and included here.
Report – Economic Profile June 2018
Regional Background Interview Report July 2018
Focus Group Notes: June, September, November 2018
Bennington Manchester Wilmington Brattleboro Bellows Falls
Bennington Manchester Wilmington Brattleboro Bellows Falls
Diversity Summit Report December 2018
2019 Southern Vermont CEDS VITAL Projects – ALPHA listing April 2019
The following organizations have taken action to authorize, endorse or approve of the 2019 Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy:
- Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation Board of Directors endorsed CEDS (3/12/19)
- Windham Regional Commission accepted (5/3/2019)
- Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies as half of the CEDS steering committee, approved (2/21/2019)
- Bennington County Industrial Corporation Board of Directors endorsed CEDS at April 2019 meeting (4/12/19)
- Bennington County Regional Commission Executive Committee endorsed CEDS at April 2019 meeting (4/26/19)
- Bennington Regional Economic Development Group, as half of the CEDS steering committee, endorsed CEDS at joint meeting in Wilmington (11/9/18)
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) and the Bennington Regional Economic Development Working Group (RED Group) are accepting new projects for inclusion in the 2019 Southern Vermont Zone Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The CEDS is an action plan for growing the economy developed using a federally prescribed public regional process. The CEDS contains a section identifying and prioritizing vital projects, programs and activities that address the region’s greatest needs or that will best enhance the region’s competitiveness. While the inclusion of a project in the CEDS does not guarantee future investment, it does indicate to federal, state and philanthropic funders that the project is aligned with the region’s economic goals for growth. Inclusion can also assist the region in understanding what projects in our economic area are being proposed or are underway.