Richford rising, step by step

Its Website (richfordvt.com) may include a bit of wishful thinking -

"Richford is a Northern Vermont job center with a traditional emphasis on manufacturing and a pro-business outlook."

The economic boom that has left most employers scrambling for workers has largely bypassed Richford. Unemployment here continues to be around double that of most of the rest of Franklin County. Most people who live here commute to St. Albans or even further to find good employment opportunities.

But that could be about to change, said Albert Perry, D-Richford, who for several years has been working with a number of other residents on a downtown revitalization project.

A big part of the problem has been the deteriorating downtown buildings. especially the former Sweat Cummings furniture factory. Once a major employer, the company over the years shrank and decreased the number of jobs until 1995 when it closed its doors for good. Its complex of aging, dilapidated. vacant buildings dominate Main Street and have tent a depressing aspect to the entire downtown.

Several of these buildings are many years past any potential for

renovation, but even removing them poses a huge - and expensive -

challenge, project, said Laura Ovitt, of the Richford Economic

Advancement Corporation. Several have their foundations in the

Missisquoi River, which runs through downtown, largely hidden from

view by buildings. The riverside, now overgrown with weeds and

littered with trash is a drawback, not a drawing card, for anyone

considering locating a business downtown.

Asbestos and lead paint add hazardous elements to any demolition project, said Ovitt. Coupled with that, there are several municipal sewer pipes that run under the buildings, which must be protected while the buildings above them are removed.

Ovitt said this grant, if approved, would be used to demolish all of the unusable buildings, and stabilize the remaining three that appear to offer potential for reuse. Some of the grant would also go toward the abatement of the hazardous materials on the site, and to

stabilize the area.

Ovitt said plans are to leave the buildings' foundations that are in the river in place, rather than disturb the river. The project would transform the area with a river walk, public access and green space. said Perry. This would also improve the accessibility and attractiveness of the old 1908 Fire Station immediately adjacent to the property, where the Historical Society is located. "They are doing a great job there," said Perry. "They have really spruced up the building."

Wilfred Pollender of Vergennes, a former Richford resident, who bought the old furniture company property in April, is "talking to potential tenants," Ovitt said, but added it was difficult to attract possible tenants "when the property isn't attractive" and when it's impossible to say with certainty when renovations might be completed.

Then there is the geographic drawback - Richford is a bit off the beaten track - far enough, from interstate transportation routes to discourage manufacturers who might need to move heavy materials or products from suppliers or to customers.

But there are some positive elements here that may ultimately help attract some good employment. First of all there is an available labor force. In places like Chittenden County, growing a business has become a difficult challenge in the face of record low unemployment. But here there are skilled people many of whom now have to make long commutes to their employment. The talent is here," said Ovitt.

And there is fiber optic capacity, making a high tech usage of the property a real possibility According to a July letter from Katie O'Connor, state director for economic development for Bell Atlantic, "Richford is one of Vermont communities where Bell Atlantic introduced

DSL (digital subscriber line) service in April of this year." DSL permits highspeed Internet access, and opens doors to all sorts of high tech business opportunities.

"DSL is a service option for the Sweat Cummings plant due to its close proximity to the Bell Atlantic Central Office," O'Connor wrote. "There is sufficient capacity both in our Richford Central Office and our outside plant facilities serving the downtown area to satisfy the communications requirements of the former Sweat Cummings plant. At present, we could deliver as many as 75 lines to the plant."

"We have fiber optic capacity here that is just waiting for clients," said Ovitt. "It's a very real option for the Sweat Cummings property." And, she added, a really interesting possibility. Already this past summer several local residents have taken positions with Putnam Funds that is training people in the state to work at home as service representatives. Telecommunications could open the door to new businesses here that produce information-based products that can be shipped not-by tractor-trailer but by the click of a mouse.

"We're at the end of the state high way, near the Canadian border," said Perry. "We have to have an advantage."

But the first step is to prepare the old complex for a new use. "We're about to submit the community development block grant application" for the first phase of the project Perry said. This will include the demolition as well as some improvements to the remaining buildings. such as new windows and doors, and some structural work.

Phase 2, he said, will complete the interior work to bring the three buildings up to code, including wiring and elevators. Remaining will be a four story, 48,000 square foot building and a three story 20,000 square foot building as well as a third building that Perry, expects could find new, life as a light industrial facility, possibly finishing wood products. The rest of space available would include about 19,000 square feet, earmarked for retail, that fronts on the river with parking between the building and the river. "There are already interested tenants," he said. Other space may be used for data processing, offices or light industry.

Perry said the Richford community plan identified as two of the economic development objectives developing data processing/fiber optics based businesses in town and restoring some wood products manufacturing. These buildings could ultimately help realize "either one for both" of those objectives.

Also underway are plans for some new housing downtown. A nonprofit group, Richford Renaissance, is working On this project. The current plan, said Perry is to renovate two buildings downtown and tear down three others. On the comer of Main and River streets a fivestory building would be renovated to provide 11 units of accessible elderly and affordable housing. And the former elementary school, with its playground and parking space, could be converted into six units of family housing.

Ultimately, Perry said, Richford Renaissance also hopes to be able to buy some of the older single-family homes in the village, perhaps to allow an elderly person to move into one of the elderly housing units, renovate these homes and sell them. "Our mission is to improve the quality of housing in Richford," said Perry, "We're not about to contribute to any slum development."

Combined the Sweat Cummings project and the housing project will add about $3 million to the Richford tax role. "Both of these projects are tax paying projects," said Perry . "No tax stabilization has been requested and none is contemplated."

Richford is also working on other efforts to improve the downtown. A survey last year revealed most residents here were not particularly anxious to see Richford grow in size, but they did want to see more cultural and recreational activities.

Copyright Boutin-McQuiston, Inc. Sep 01, 2000
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