BRATTLEBORO — The team behind the revitalization of the historic Brooks House received another accolade on Monday night at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden.
The Windham County Democratic Committee presented its fifth annual O'Connor Award to Mesabi LLC, which is composed of Bob Stevens, PE, an engineer and principal of Stevens & Associates; Craig Miskovich, a director at Downs Rachlin Martin; and Drew Richards, Peter Richards, and Ben Taggard, principals at The Richards Group.
The O'Connor Award, named for lifelong Brattleboro resident and former Speaker of the House Timothy J. Connor Jr., is presented to Brattleboro-area citizens for work that helps the community.
In presenting the award, County Committee Vice-Chair James Valente said that what the Mesabi team has done “is not for the faint of heart.”
To finance the $24 million project, Mesabi put together a complex package that includes common equity, senior and subordinated debt, private loans, preferred equity, a Community Development Block Grant, a town loan, and Historic and New Market tax credits, in addition to state funding for turning the second floor into the new home for a joint Community College of Vermont/Vermont Technical College campus.
“Fortunately for us, this town is not short on people with character that are willing to take a risk,” Valente said.
That sentiment was echoed by Speaker of the House Shap Smith, D-Moretown, guest speaker at Monday night's event. Smith said the Brooks House project was a reflection of the economic and environmental priorities of the state right now to encourage redevelopment of downtowns and village centers.
“It's easier to go the edge of town, dig a hole, and put in a pre-fabricated structure,” said Smith. “It's a lot harder to do a project like this. Without you guys being willing to take a risk, whether we pass legislation doesn't matter.”
Fire ripped through the Brooks House in April 2011, destroying 60 apartments and displacing 10 businesses. Firefighters extinguished the accidental electrical fire, and the historic structure remained standing - but uninhabitable without major renovations.
“It's hard to believe it's been almost three years since the fire,” said Valente, adding that it was “a miracle” that downtown Brattleboro has been able to survive without its largest and most important commercial building.
Mesabi LLC bought the Brooks House from owner Jonathan Chase in July 2013, and started the construction on the building shortly thereafter with a goal of creating a mixed-use building with restored historical features and modern amenities. The building has space for retail, restaurants, and offices, as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Stevens said Monday night that three apartments are still available for rent, as are several first-floor commercial spaces.
After Monday night's award ceremony, Stevens and Miskovich took people on a half-hour tour of the Brooks House.
The biggest changes are the second-story addition on the rear of the building that will be used by the colleges, and an atrium that will serve as the new lobby for the Brooks House. All the windows on the second and third floors have been installed and new brass overhangs have been put in.
The rest of the building is still gutted, awaiting new plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical infrastructure.
Stevens said Middlebury-based Bread Loaf Construction, the primary contractor on the project, has been making good progress.
“We still are counting on having everything done by mid-August,” he said.