Residents and staff of the Village of Enosburg Falls are embarking on a new future by coming together to plan for economic development opportunities. A year ago, a community meeting was held to discuss the economic state of the Village. Interested citizens and business owners talked about strengths and weaknesses, and ways to help the community grow. This conversation resulted in the formation of the Enosburg Initiative. The St. Albans Messenger reports that recently, the Enosburg Initative and the Village celebrated a big victory: they secured a municipal planning grant to fund the creation of a downtown master plan.
What’s next? The master plan the community creates will help guide development and investments to strengthen the economic health of the Village. The plan’s two biggest goals are to revitalize the Village’s economic and tourist appeal, and improve walking and biking options.
Enosburg Falls’ economic development efforts also include working with building owners to rehabilitate structures and put them back into use. The Village recently took steps to rehabilitate one of its most prominent historic downtown buildings. Now vacant, major rehabilitation of the circa 1874 Quincy Hotel will return this building to its historic use as a hotel and restaurant. The project will use both state and federal tax credits to address a range of life-safety issues and improve the building’s accessibility and energy efficiency. It will more than double the number of overnight accommodations in the Village, creating jobs and an accessible gathering space.
Another historic building in the central business district, which has housed various commercial businesses including an auto body shop, a plumbing and appliance shop, and multiple daycare centers, had been vacant for over seven years until new owners purchased the property in 2016. State tax credits will support a project to extensively remodel the building, creating four office spaces for mental health and
substance abuse counseling, addressing an important community health need.