Brownfield Clean-up Underway for St. Albans Housing Project
St Albans, Vt. – The Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) have partnered to fund needed brownfield clean-up at the Congress and Main project in downtown St. Albans. ACCD is providing a $393,503 loan through the brownfields revolving loan fund and $50,000 in grant funding. NRPC is contributing $298,000 in loan funds and an additional $100,000 in subgrant monies. Both revolving loan funds are capitalized by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The Brownfield clean-up funding will support asbestos mitigation and soil remediation at the property to prepare the site for redevelopment. The existing 23-unit apartment building at 10 Maiden Lane will be demolished to make way for a new 30-unit affordable housing building. A second 33-unit subsidized workforce rate building will also be constructed on the site. A parking garage will be constructed under the buildings and the façade and foundation of the existing 12 Congress Street structure will be renovated.
“The 63 planned new housing units will be a game-changer in the revitalization of the City. The brownfield clean-up funding has been instrumental in making this project a reality,” said Chip Sawyer, Director of Planning & Development for the City of St. Albans.
“We are pleased the brownfield program can help these critical housing redevelopment projects come to life, especially when partnering with a local entity like the Northwest Regional Planning Commission. Returning these formerly contaminated properties to productive use is a win for all involved,” said Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lindsay Kurrle.
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About the Brownfields Initiative
ACCD’s brownfields program is funded, in part, through a grant from the EPA Brownfields Program. For more information on redevelopment of a brownfields site, please visit: https://accd.vermont.gov/economic-development/funding-incentives/brownfields-initiative
About the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s (ACCD) mission is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities. ACCD accomplishes this mission by providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy through three divisions: The Department of Economic Development, the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. For more information on ACCD please visit: https://accd.vermont.gov/.