READING, Vt.– The Reading Community Trust is excited to be a member of the 2024 Village Trust Initiative (VTI) cohort, and will receive an award of $300,000 to support predevelopment expenses and restoration construction on a historic building in the Village of Felchville. The Village Trust Initiative, a village revitalization program made possible by a Congressionally Directed Spending Award from former Sen. Leahy and a partnership between the Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV), Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), and Vermont Community Foundation (VCF), will provide both expertise and funding to communities with fewer than 2,500 residents. This new partnership of the three organizations will support 20 Vermont communities over the next several years, to form a community trust and undertake a transformational revitalization project in their historic village. By helping communities define a vision for their future and complete revitalization projects, the VTI will build community capacity, preserve a sense of place, and ensure Vermont villages are dynamic places for future generations.
There were approximately 70 communities in the initial pool of applicants for the VTI funding. Representatives from PTV and VCRD visited each of the 14 finalist communities this summer, taking time to meet local project leaders, see potential project sites, and learn more about the life and community in each village. Of the final 14, seven communities in six different counties were selected to receive funding. Reading was one of those six, receiving funding for its General Store Project.
Established in June 2024, the Reading Community Trust (RCT) is incorporated and in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) status. The RCT is an offshoot of a group called “The Future is Reading” that began meeting regularly in January 2024 to hear what was on the minds of Reading residents, and to determine how best to revitalize the local economy. It became clear to the group that many residents desired a community gathering space, and that establishing a community trust might be the first step in that direction. The RCT is actively soliciting feedback from the community about viable uses for a restored historic building in the village. The predevelopment funding from VTI will allow the group to hire professionals to conduct conditions, engineering, and feasibility assessments, and to research permitting on potential structures. The group will conduct a capital campaign to raise the necessary funding for the purchase of a historic building. To get involved, please contact Jack Kartsch at jkartsch@gmail.com.