BRATTLEBORO — The Community College of Vermont opened in its new location at the renovated Brooks House on Main Street on Aug. 11. CCV will share 18,000 square feet on the building's first and second floors with Vermont Technical College.
According to CCV President Joyce Judy in a news release, the move puts CCV “right in the heart of downtown Brattleboro and we expect the college to have better visibility and a stronger tie to the community in this new location.”
Judy added, “Our Landmark Hill facility is a bit off the beaten path, and we have outgrown the space as well. Most importantly, I have heard from a number of students and staff members who say they are very excited to be in the new, modern space.”
The Brooks House was destroyed in April 2011 by a fire that swept through the upper floors of the building.
The following year, the Mesabi Group, an investment team, committed to a $25 million restoration project and took the steps necessary to restore the landmark building, which has stood at the center of downtown Brattleboro since its construction in 1871.
CCV and Vermont Tech were the first long-term tenants to commit to the rebuilt Brooks House, signing a 10-year lease (in two five-year options) with the Mesabi Group.
In Brattleboro, CCV serves 300 students and employs eight full-time staffers and 25 part-time faculty members. The college says it hopes that the influx of daily foot traffic in downtown will boost other Main Street businesses, similar to the positive effects that took place when CCV relocated facilities to the downtown areas of Winooski and Rutland City in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
Patrick Moreland, Brattleboro's interim town manager, said that from his perspective, “the importance of the Brooks house coming back online simply cannot be overstated. It has been three years since the fire and [Tropical Storm Irene], and, in that time, downtown businesses and the community as a whole have struggled.”
The design of the new facility also reflects the shift towards STEM-focused (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) educational priorities that CCV and other colleges and universities nationwide are making.
Tapp Barnhill, CCV's executive director of the Brattleboro academic center, noted the new facilities have one science lab and two computer labs which will be used for both CCV and Vermont Tech's STEM courses.
The new labs, Barnhill said, will help CCV better meet the growing demand for lab science and computer courses.
Barnhill also said the college pays homage to Brattleboro's deep connection to, and love for, the arts in the form of a beautiful, new studio art space at the center.
The studio, she said, is one of the best rooms in the new center and is perfect for fostering and supporting the creative spirit the Brattleboro region is known for.
Classes in the new academic center will begin with the start of fall semester courses on Sept. 2.