A $3.8 million federal grant will fund the cleanup of a contaminated former factory site in St. Johnsbury, clearing the way for new housing and commercial development.
The True Temper Factory off Concord Avenue once manufactured ax and shovel handles. The building and nearly eight acres have sat derelict for decades, contaminated by industrial use.
The grant comes from the Environmental Protection Agency. St. Johnsbury Town Manager Chad Whitehead said it complements an existing town EPA cleanup grant, allowing funds to be redirected to another site. "The town has an EPA cleanup grant as well, which freed up our money to go towards cleanup at the old RK Miles site," Whitehead said. "So, it impacts us in several ways and moves a bunch of different projects forward."
The property is owned by the Northeastern Vermont Development Association. Plans call for housing development on the site. Gillian Sewake of Discover St. Johnsbury said more housing is needed for local employers. "All of our large employers need more housing options in order to attract the workforce that we need to be a vibrant community, to keep housing affordable," she said.
Resident Mike Downes, who moved to the area five years ago, said he got lucky finding housing and that growth benefits the community. "If we can get more people with families moving in, it ensures a certain amount of flow for the schools going forward," Downes said.
Police say cleanup work could begin soon, with a potential groundbreaking for development in fall 2027. The site is less than a mile from downtown and near the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, where four other properties are also seeing redevelopment.
NEK will be looking into the timeline of the True Temper cleanup and whether similar EPA grants are available for other brownfield sites in the region.
Originally reported by WCAX.
Photo: Lio Voo via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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