Regional priority project list for Windham County announced
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), the economic development organization for Windham County, announces the regional priority projects (RPP) list for this year. The annual list ranks the top 10 priority projects as determined by a committee made up of members from BDCC, the Windham Regional Commission, and representatives from across Windham County.
Each year, regional development organizations across Vermont gather input from planning commissions, municipalities, partner organizations, and local stakeholders to identify projects that reflect shared goals across the region. Engagement efforts include public meetings, newsletter, direct outreach, and regional convenings. The information provided in the RPP lists are used by the state of Vermont to inform decision making for federal and state funding opportunities and to guide community planning processes.
The project list development process is consistent and neutral across all of the organizations that provide RPP lists to the state. Projects selected often advance business retention and growth, workforce and talent development, broadband expansion, innovation in economic development, and improvements to critical infrastructure.
The RPP list identifies the initiatives that are most prepared to advance job creation, expand economic opportunities, and strengthen community resilience. The top ranked projects on the Windham RPP list are submitted to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). They, along with other state departments, use these lists to help inform future funding allocations for many programs, including Northern Border Regional Commission’s annual funding.
The Windham RPP list includes the Grace Cottage family health new primary care building; the Rockingham industrial park stormwater planning, design, and implementation; the Route 9 water and wastewater infrastructure expansion project; the Bellows Falls intermodal transportation center (BFITC); phase II of the South Londonderry village wastewater system; the Green Island Great Falls food hub project; the Vernon Homes greenhouse project; WheelPad; the Brattleboro technology and industrial park; and the renovation project for the Old School Community Center in Wilmington.
BDCC amasses projects across Windham and Bennington counties Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone 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 planning and capital development, while CEDS vital projects may be in earlier stages. While these processes have emerged independently, BDCC will continue to work on bringing the processes together going forward. For a list of the 2025 CEDS vital projects go to https://www.sovermontzone.com/cedsprojects.
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.
