State officials and the Vermont Community Development Board, which have more than $21 million in federal money to distribute, recommended approval of four projects across the state Wednesday and denied two Waterbury projects.
The unsuccessful projects included a plan to study reusing the flood-damaged heating plant at the Waterbury state office complex, which board member Sarah Carpenter questioned due to the delayed rebuilding there, and a local development corporation the town has been seeking to create.
A $100,000 grant to study options for building a new municipal complex in Waterbury and to help with pre-building site work was recommended for approval, though.
Another $100,000 grant to study rebuilding or renovating options that could affect three Brattleboro Housing Authority sites that involve elderly tenants or tenants with disabilities.
One housing site there, Melrose Terrace, is located in a severe flooding area that normally wouldn’t be eligible for rebuilding funds, but the federal government has given a special exemption.
Up to $509,000 was targeted for re-developing a supermarket in Johnson, which has been without one since May 2011 flooding.
The largest grant, $1 million, was for three regional business development corporations to help with business assistance.
The recommendations become final when the state’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development secretary, Lawrence Miller, signs off on the measures.
State officials soon expect 10 to 15 more applications. Nearly $10 million is already being transferred for home-related projects, such as commercial and residential buyouts of properties damaged by natural disasters.
See Thursday’s paper for a full report.
