CCV plans move into fire-stricken Brooks House in Brattleboro
Thu Oct 25 2012
Today, the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees voted formally to authorize the Chancellor to negotiate lease terms with Mesabi, LLC, a group of Brattleboro developers planning to redevelop the Brooks House building.
The interior of the Brooks House building was gutted by fire in April 2011. The new academic center will allow the collocation of the Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Vermont Technical College (Vermont Tech).
VSC Board Member Martha O’Connor, chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee, said: “This project is exciting. A more dynamic Brattleboro presence for these colleges is good for the downtown and vital if we are going to succeed in our mission of serving Vermonters in every region.”
In the 2012 legislative session, Governor Peter Shumlin proposed a $2,000,000 investment in the Vermont State Colleges for construction costs associated with a new community college facility.
According to Chancellor Donovan, “Put simply, this project would not be feasible for the colleges without the leadership of Governor Shumlin and the creativity of the Brattleboro partners we are working with. Brattleboro has a number of strong institutions and this is good opportunity to strengthen our partnerships in the community, especially with our colleagues in education.”
CCV and Vermont Tech currently serve students in separate locations in the Brattleboro region. CCV’s programs are delivered in an academic center located on Putney Road. Vermont Tech provides nursing education in the Vermont Agricultural and Business Education Center. Vermont Tech’s practical nursing program in Brattleboro began operating in 1907 as the Thompson School of Nursing and is the oldest continuously operating school for practical nursing in the country.
About the VSC The Vermont State College system is composed of five unique institutions: the Community College of Vermont, Castleton State College, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College and the Vermont Technical College. The institutions serve more than 12,000 students annually, of whom 83% are Vermonters.