BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – The ongoing Bellows Falls Garage building project, a new apartment complex built by the Brattleboro-based Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT), is near completion, with a ribbon-cutting and open house celebration to come. WWHT has built several other affordable housing projects throughout the area, including the Howard and Exner Blocks in Bellows Falls.
Originally, some three years ago, the plan had been to rehabilitate the 100-plus-year-old art deco cement structure, located near The Square in downtown Bellows Falls. However, the plans were ultimately changed when it was realized that the cost of renovating the existing building was too great, and it was decided to tear down the old structure and start from scratch.
The revised approach for the rebuild allowed for a much lighter building to sit on the existing foundation. Although the original façade of the building could not be saved, the architects of the building project, Gossens Bachman Architects based in Montpelier, did recreate the words “Bellows Falls Garage” above the front door on the new façade, just as it appeared on the original building.
The new $10 million, 27-apartment housing complex stands on a small piece of land in front of Canal Street, next to the China Garden restaurant and PK’s Irish Pub. The apartment units offer a wonderful view of the Green Mountain Railway yard and historic Bellows Falls Canal, as well as the Connecticut River, and Fall Mountain in New Hampshire.
Tenants are expected to be able to start moving into the apartments in June, as workers continue to put the finishing touches on units that range from compact studio apartments to two-bedroom, family apartments.
“Construction on the Garage Building will be complete by the end of May, and applicants are currently being accepted and processed,” Elizabeth Bridgewater said in a recent interview. Bridgewater is the WWHT Executive Director. “The top two floors are now complete, and the bottom ones are being finished over the next two weeks.
“Additionally, the elevator is now being finalized and commissioned, site work such as paving will start the first week of May, and finally, the front windows are now partially in and being completed.”
There is a ribbon-cutting and open house scheduled for early in the week of April 24, with the local Bellows Falls public access TV station, FACT-TV, covering the event.