ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – The Town of St. Johnsbury is looking to attract more visitors into downtown.
In September, the town bought a former RK Miles location at 145 Bay St. It was bought for $400,000, less than half of what it was assessed for.
The building is right next to the trailhead pavilion for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which is very popular among locals and visitors alike. According to a report by the Northeastern Vermont Development Association, there are over 120,000 visits along the rail trail every year.
The first stage of the plan for transforming the building into an attraction for those on the trail involves building in more parking.
Then, they want to hear from you about what you want to see the property become.
“We’re in the planning work for additional improvements so that it’s very clear that you’re not done riding the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail until you’re all the way into St. Johnsbury’s downtown,” said St. Johnsbury Town Manager Chad Whitehead.
Right now, the town is looking into how much environmental cleanups will cost and are hoping that grants from the EPA will be able to mitigate expenses.
You can visit the site and share your feedback at two public sessions on Tuesday. The first at 3 p.m. and the other at 5:30 p.m.
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