Take a second look at what’s going on around Addison County.
In Vergennes, a senior living project is on track to be developed, and in Middlebury the Better Middlebury Partnership received 40 applicants for 5 grants of $20,000 each, plus up to $5,000 in other benefits, to locate businesses in the downtown. Of the applicants being considered 11 are in the restaurant/food/drink category; 14 are retail oriented; five are experiential; four are in the heath/beauty category and six fall into “office/nonprofit/other.” While only 5 finalists will receive grants, that there are 35 others who are interested in locating in downtown Middlebury sparks hope and faith in Middlebury’s downtown after a rough four years and a slew of vacant storefronts. Obviously, the hard work right after awarding the five Kick-Start grants is to help as many of the other 35 hopefuls to locate here or nearby, and that’s a welcome challenge to have.