Windham Region Priority Projects Announced

Regional Development Projects to be Recommended to the State for Funding Consideration

BRATTLEBORO, VT – Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), the Windham Region’s economic development commission, announces today its Regional Project Prioritization list for 2024. This list ranks the region’s top ten priority projects as determined by a joint committee of members from both BDCC and Windham Regional Commission, as well as community representatives from across Windham County.

Regional Project Prioritization (RPP) lists are developed annually by regional development corporations (RDCs) to identify projects of priority and importance in the region using input from regional planning commissions, municipalities, partners, and communities. Input is gathered through wide engagement via newsletters, public meetings, and convenings. The State of Vermont hopes that the information provided in the Regional Project Prioritization lists will prove useful when considering federal and state funding sources and community planning processes.

The twelve RDCs in Vermont adhere to the fair and neutral Regional Priority Project Process to solicit projects for priority identification. These projects may support business retention and expansion, create programs that encourage job creation and workforce development, expand access to high-speed broadband, and implement new or innovative economic development practices.

Al Claussen, BDCC’s real estate manager and staff lead for the RPP process this year, reflected on the strength of the submissions. “We had a wealth of important, substantial projects to rank this year, from business development to infrastructure and real estate projects. It’s encouraging to think about the positive impact all these projects will have and the ways they will amplify each other throughout the region.”

The RPP list expresses the highest priority projects for our region that will support job growth and economic development. The top projects on the Windham Region RPP list are submitted to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), which, along with other state departments, uses these lists to help inform future funding allocations for many of their programs as well as Northern Border Regional Commission’s annual funding.

“Seeing this great group of diverse projects move into the development phase is so encouraging,” says Gabrielle Ciuffreda, Windham Regional Commission chair. “We are excited to work together as a region to really plan for how to support each of these projects.”

The 2024 Windham Regional Priority Project List:

• Cotton Mill Expansion
• Grace Cottage Family Health Primary Care Clinic Upgrade
• Route 9 Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Expansion Project
• Alice Holway Drive Homes
• DVFiber Industrial Park Expansion
• Bellows Falls Intermodal Transportation Center (BFITC) formerly BF Historic Train Station Purchase and Renovation
• Windham Region Infrastructure Characterization: Developing a Town-Level, Region-Wide Understanding of Actions Necessary to Address Infrastructure Limitations to Support Economic and Community Development
• WheelPad L3C
• Chroma Slope Stormwater Protection

“I think the full range of projects under consideration, and those chosen as priorities, reflect the drive for innovation within the region in both the public and private sectors,” said Chris Campany, Windham Regional Commission Executive Director.

BDCC collects projects annually for consideration as CEDS Vital Projects and also draws from this pool of projects for the RPP list. While there is often overlap, the RPP list requires projects to be well along in their planning and capital development, while CEDS Vital Projects may be in earlier stages.  For more information on the collection process please visit:  https://www.sovermontzone.com/ceds-projects

Past Windham RPP list projects that have received state and federal awards include Wilmington Route 9 Infrastructure, Whitingham Sewer Infrastructure, and Chroma Slope Stormwater Protection, among many others.  

About BDCC

The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a private, nonprofit economic development organization with the mission of investing in the drivers of the regional economy so that people, businesses, and communities in Southern Vermont can thrive. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area (including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, Winhall and Weston). BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. BDCC activity is made possible in part by a grant from the State of Vermont through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/