REGION – Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), the Windham region’s economic development commission, announces today its regional project prioritization list for 2025. This list ranks the region’s top 10 priority projects as determined by a joint committee of members from both BDCC and Windham Regional Commission, as well as community representatives from across Windham County.
Regional Project Prioritization (RPP) lists are developed annually by regional development corporations (RDCs) to identify projects of priority and importance in the region, using input from regional planning commissions, municipalities, partners, and communities. Input is gathered through wide engagement via newsletters, public meetings, and convenings. The State of Vermont hopes that the information provided in the Regional Project Prioritization lists will prove useful when considering federal and state funding sources and community planning processes.
The 12 RDCs in Vermont adhere to the fair and neutral Regional Priority Project Process to solicit projects for priority identification. These projects may support business retention and expansion, create programs that encourage job creation and workforce development, expand access to high-speed broadband, and implement new or innovative economic development practices.
Al Claussen, BDCC’s real estate manager and staff lead for the RPP process this year, reflected on the strength and diversity of the submissions. “This year, we had the privilege of evaluating a diverse array of significant projects, spanning business development, infrastructure, and real estate. The strength of the applicants was truly remarkable, making it a challenging task to narrow the list down to the top 10 projects. It’s inspiring to envision the positive impact these initiatives will create, and how they will collectively enhance and amplify growth across the region.”
The RPP list expresses the highest priority projects for our region that will support job growth and economic development. The top projects on the Windham Region RPP list are submitted to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), which, along with other state departments, uses these lists to help inform future funding allocations for many of their programs, as well as Northern Border Regional Commission’s annual funding.
The 2025 Windham Regional Priority Project List consists of: the Grace Cottage Family Health new primary care clinic building; DVFiber high speed internet; Rockingham Industrial Park stormwater planning, design, and implementation; storage and distribution infrastructure for a thriving regional food system; WheelPad L3C; Cotton Mill campus expansion, incubation, and workforce housing; Route 9 water and wastewater infrastructure expansion project; Bellows Falls intermodal transportation center (BFITC), formerly Bellows Falls historic train station purchase and renovation; the Miss Bellows Falls Diner; and compost facility expansion.
“I continue to be impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit within the region. While we had to identify 10 priority projects, knowing the full range of what projects are out there helps us with planning and knowing what needs exist,” said Chris Campany, Windham Regional Commission executive director.
BDCC collects projects 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 their planning and capital development, while CEDS Vital Projects may be in earlier stages. For more information on the collection process, please visit www.sovermontzone.com/ceds-projects.
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.