DEW Construction Corp. broke ground on Barre City Place, kicking off the start of what some say is the next stage of the city's renaissance. Barre City Place will be a four-story, 80,000 s/f mixed-use building on Main St. DEW Properties, LLC will own the building and is the lead developer on the project. A subsidiary of the company, DEW Barre City Place, LLC, will maintain the property.
Many local dignitaries attended the groundbreaking ceremony on January 30, including Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Barre mayor Thom Lauzon, and city manager Steven Mackenzie. Governor Shumlin said Barre City Place is a model for future city renovation projects across the country.
Barre City Place has pre-construction commitments from major tenants. The RehabGYM, a physical rehabilitation facility, will occupy part of the first floor. Vermont's Department of Education and its nearly 200 employees will occupy the building's top floor. Fifty employees of the Agency of Human Services will split the second and third floors with Central Vermont Medical Center, which will have administrative offices for approximately 45 employees.
DEW's president Don Wells says he is hopeful a push to create a cooperatively owned grocery store will be successful and occupy space on the first floor. Barre residents and city officials expect the increase in work force to bring a new vitality to the city.
The project, valued at over $16 million, is expected to be completed by the spring of 2014. Financing for the building comes from a wide range of sources, including about $10 million from Housing Vermont, $5 million from the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp., and $1.1 million from the Vermont Economic Development Authority. Other lenders include Mascoma Savings Bank, Bank of New Hampshire, Vermont Economic Development Authority, and Barre Area Development, Inc.
The architect is Banwell Architects of Lebanon, N.H. and Quechee, Vt. Banwell's design for the main street façade uses brick and locally quarried granite to blend in with existing historic buildings. The project manager is Allen Haggerty and the building superintendent is Mike Canavan, both of DEW Construction Corp.