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The Northern Forest Center, based in Concord, N.H., is redeveloping an historic, 15,000-sq.-ft. property at 560 Railroad St. in St. Johnsbury, Vt., as part of its ongoing community revitalization work in New England.
According to a Jan. 9 report in Vermont Business, the $5 million project will create nine apartments with a mix of studio-, two-, and three-bedroom units and two commercial spaces. Rentals will be priced to serve median-income earners in the St. Johnsbury area.
"This building has played such an important part in St. Johnsbury's history," explained Rob Riley, president of Northern Forest Center. "We're bringing it back to be a vital hub in the community again so it can contribute to the town's future.
"We've heard from the hospital and other employers that St. Johnsbury desperately needs more housing for workers," he added. "We're excited to help fill that gap and now also have Catamount Arts as a core partner to lease an artist in residence apartment and attached studio space. Residents, artists and art enthusiasts will bring a lot of new energy to the north end of Railroad Street."
Jody Fried, executive director at St. Johnsbury's Catamount Arts, said the local arts nonprofit will announce details about a new artist-in-residence program in the coming months.
"Catamount is thrilled to work with the Center team to incorporate the arts and creativity into its core design for the 560 Railroad Street project," he explained. "[Our] goal is to create a vibrant new mixed-use housing model that can be replicated throughout the region that is intended to nourish and highlight the magic of working artists."
Interior demolition on the old building, originally constructed in 1909, began in November in time for construction to begin soon.
Known as Bertrand Hall, the structure was built to serve as the armory for Company D of the Vermont National Guard. Its wide-open first floor was used for Guard training as well as dances and events before it was later converted into a hotel.
Crews from EnviroVantage in Epping, N.H., have stripped the building of all interior finishes in preparation for structural upgrades before interior reconstruction begins.
"We'll be adding structural reinforcement throughout the building to meet modern codes," said Evan Oleson, the Center's project manager. "Our architect and engineers worked together to design a new floor plan that would make maximum use of the space for its new use."
He identified Alba Architects of North Woodstock, N.H., and HEB Engineers of North Conway, N.H. as the companies chosen to work on the project.
The redevelopment of 560 Railroad Street will also correct several pre-existing environmental problems on the property, noted Oleson.
"We've already removed a buried fuel oil tank and, fortunately, there is no evidence of a leak from that," he said, adding, "We'll clean up contaminated soils on the parcel that likely resulted either from dirty fill added over time, or from aerial deposits from trains passing on the track behind the building."
Plans call for his organization to remove regulated building materials used in the past, such as asbestos in pipe wrap and caulking.
Several Vermont firms are involved in planning or implementing the environmental remediation efforts at 560 Railroad Street, including Weston & Sampson of Waterbury, Catamount Environmental, from Wilmington, and two companies located in Williston: Clay Point Associates and US Ecology.
"We are following a state-approved Corrective Action Plan, so there is careful oversight and clarity about how to correct these problems so the site can be used to the fullest," said Oleson. "Without a major renovation like ours, it's unlikely these potential hazards would have been addressed."
Engineering Services of Vermont, based in Rutland and Waterbury, is the designer of the historic building's all-new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
Construction management will be provided by HP Cummings, which maintains offices in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Oleson expects the renovation project at 560 Railroad Street to last approximately one year.
Financial Support Came From All Quarters
The redevelopment project has received strong public sector support including a $150,000 "transformational grant" from the Town of St. Johnsbury's federally funded America Rescue Plan Act funding. In addition, the Vermont State Treasurer's Office Local Investment Program provided a $500,000 low-interest loan to support housing development, and funds also came in from the Northern Border Regional Commission.
"This public sector support is a real vote of confidence in our approach and this project," said Riley. "We're confident this project will catalyze additional investment in downtown St. Johnsbury and build on the incredible vibe and pride of the community. This is a $5 million project and we've raised 70 percent [of] our financing goal. We'd love to hear from anyone interested in supporting this revitalization effort."
The Northern Forest Center used its capital — which integrates private investment dollars, philanthropic donations, and grants from public sources — to fund the building's purchase and cover initial redevelopment expenses.
Additionally, the Northeastern Vermont Development Association-led Brownfields Assessment Coalition made an important contribution of more than $64,000 to pay for early environmental assessment work.
In addition to the property redevelopment project, the National Forest Center supports efforts to improve recreation access and resources in St. Johnsbury, assist wood product- and tourism-related businesses, advance sustainable tourism, develop community forests and build area non-profit capacity.
The Center has previously completed two other major property initiatives.
The first, in Lancaster, N.H., was its $3.5-million redevelopment of the Parker J. Noyes building, which created six middle-market apartments and commercial space for a local nonprofit and food marketplace.
It was followed by the Millinocket (Maine) Housing Initiative, which invested more than $1 million to renovate six homes, creating 12 quality rental units from properties that had been severely neglected.
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