Editor’s note: This story by Chris Mays was published by the Brattleboro Reformer on June 28.
[B]RATTLEBORO — Engineers anticipate an $840,000 price tag for upgrading municipal utilities infrastructure in the southern section of town to support Culture Made Vermont’s proposed dairy and nondairy beverage facility at the Exit One Industrial Park.
In a 3-0 vote last week, the Select Board approved a grant application to the U.S. Economic Development Administration seeking half that much. The town will put up the other $420,000 if the funding is secured and other pieces fall into place.
“As we’ve discussed previously, there are a series of things that will occur over the next several months as long as the project keeps gaining momentum and moving forward towards what we hope will be a financial closing before the end of this year and then moving on to actually implementing the project next year,” Town Manager Peter Elwell told Select Board members during a meeting on June 19. “And as long as it stays on track, we will be back to see you again periodically to ask for additional actions, none of which will actually finally commit the town to spending money within the utility system or otherwise for the project unless the project actually moves forward.”
Town officials have said they believe the cost to the town will be recouped via user fees. And the project is looked at as particularly helpful in the way of creating jobs.
If it moves forward, Select Board Vice Chair Brandie Starr assured members of the public, “there will be lengthy public discussion and opportunity for public participation as well as discussion by the board.”
Starr and fellow board members David Schoales and Shanta Lee Gander voted in favor of the grant application. Board member Tim Wessel arrived late due to traffic associated with a crash and Select Board Chairwoman Kate O’Connor was not present.
Project leaders have been quiet about the players behind the plan. But Thomas Moffitt, the former president of the Brattleboro-based Commonwealth Dairy, is listed as the managing member of Culture Made in documents filed with the Vermont secretary of state.
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. is expected to renovate 353 John Seitz Drive, a building it owns that previously housed a defense contractor. Culture Made would then lease the space.
Plans have already been approved by the town’s Development Review Board. Between grant funding and investors, the project is expected to cost about $32.5 million overall. No representatives from the BDCC or Culture Made were at the meeting. BDCC Executive Director Adam Grinold could not be reached Tuesday or Wednesday.
