News & Events
NEW BID REQUESTÂ
Precision Valley Development Corporation is soliciting proposals for the installation of approximately 55,000sf of concrete slab located on the lower level of the Gear Shaper Building, 100 River Street, Springfield Vermont. The scope of work shall include the placement of a poly vapor barrier, wire reinforcement mesh and 4� of concrete over the existing slab. The purpose of this pour is to encapsulate the PCB’s that exist within the exiting slab.
Click on the Link below for the Bid Request Form
http://swcrpc.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Amended-PVDC-Bid-Request.pdf
 Â
Springfield Lands $110,000 Brownfields Clean-up Grant
MONTPELIER, Vt. – Governor Jim Douglas has announced that $110,000 will be granted to the Precision Valley Development Corporation to continue clean-up activities at the former Fellows Gear Shaper property in Springfield.
“This proposal will help continue with the re-development of a critical downtown property,� said Governor Douglas. “This will not only help the town’s economy, but will turn a blighted property into clean, safe commercial space, including space for the Springfield Hospital health center.�
These funds are being made available to PVDC from the State’s Brownfield Fund, which will be leveraged with another $80,000 from the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission’s (SWCRPC) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) supplemental funding through the Environmental Protection Agency.
Redevelopment of the site, located in Springfield’s downtown, will result in the reuse of a historic building and provide new office and commercial space. The State of Vermont and SWCRPC are working very closely with the developers of the property, 100 River Street, LLC and the Springfield Regional Development Corporation.
The Environmental Protection Agency has capitalized both the State’s and SWCRPC’s funds through its competitive brownfields Revolving Loan Fund
(RLF) program.
To date, the State has been awarded over $1.5 million for clean-up of brownfield sites; and SWCRPC has been awarded close to $3 million in RLF and assessment funding.
Last year, the state awarded $750,000 to the town for use in installing new safety systems such as sprinklers and emergency lighting at the Fellows building, located at 100 River Street, and in 2008 the state authorized $344,731 worth of tax credits to help refurbish the historic building.
For additional information about the Governor’s Vermont Brownfields Initiative, please see the Agency of Commerce and Community Development website at: http://www.dhca.state.vt.us/brownfields/index.htm.
 SOUTHERN WINDSOR COUNTY INCUBATOR, INC
Annual Business Plan Competition Underway
Springfield — The Southern Windsor County Incubator (SWCI) has announced their 3rd annual Business Plan Competition. The top prize is up to $7,000 and the contest is for existing small businesses as well as those looking to start a new business.
 The premise behind the competition is to help raise awareness in the region about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention and earn financial rewards.
To enter the competition, candidates must submit an executive summary consisting of a two-page business plan and one- page financial summary no later than 4 pm on April 15, 2010. The announcement of a maximum of six finalists for each category will be made on April 21st. Those finalists will prepare complete business plans to submit in late May.
In order to be eligible, the current or proposed business must be physically located within the municipalities of Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Springfield, Weathersfield or Windsor. Existing businesses must have annual revenues of less than $500,000.
Each submission will be reviewed and judged based on such criteria as: likelihood of success, potential for job creation, impact on the local economy, leadership quality, and financial clarity.
The winner of last year’s Business Plan Competition was MacLaomainn’s Scottish Pub in Chester.
More information about eligibility, rules, registration, judging and other details is available by contacting SWCI. Also, SWCI can provide access to free resources to help in the preparation of the executive summary and business plan through such organizations as the Small Business Development Center and SCORE.
For information, go to the SWCI web site www.SWCIncubator.org, by phone at (802) 885-3061 or by email at info@swcincubator.org.
Northeastern Economic Developers Association
Elects Bob Flint to Board of Directors
Bob Flint, Executive Director of Springfield Regional Development Corporation in Springfield, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Northeastern Economic Development Association (NEDA), at the Board’s meeting in Saratoga Springs recently.
Flint has served as the Executive Director of SRDC since 2005. During that time, he has been involved in several projects including the successful sale and redevelopment of the North Springfield Fellows Gear Shaper facility. He currently sits on several statewide committees, including the Planning Coordination Group for Growth Centers, the Aviation Advisory Council and the Brownfields Advisory Committee. Prior to SRDC, Flint was the Executive Vice-President of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce for 7 ½ years. During his time at the Chamber, Bob was elected to 3 terms as the President of the Vermont Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and served 2 terms on the Board of Directors of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. He also worked in broadcasting for 20 years, including 14 years as the Operations Manager/Program Director of WCFR Radio. He continues to serve on the boards of a variety of local and regional organizations.
The Northeastern Economic Developers Association consists of over 500 professional economic developers, appointed and volunteer economic development practice, in the eleven Northeastern States and the District of Columbia. (Specifically, these States included Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as Washington DC.)Â NEDA provides professional development education; publishes information about best professional practices; and supports the pursuit of individual economic development education throughout the Northeast. NEDA was founded in 1956 as the Northeastern Industrial Developers Association, and is the leading association of economic developers in the Northeastern United States.
Community Business Connections
Helping Vermonters start and expand businesses
Visit our one stop shop to learn how to:
Or Call the SBA at 802-828-4422, or the VtSBDC at 800-464-7232
 Windsor Downtown Newsletter just click on the link below to check it out!
http://www.vermont-towns.org/windsor/
Governor Douglas Awards $750,000 Grant for Major Renovation Project in Springfield
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Douglas today announced that the State of Vermont will be contributing $750,000 in grant funds to a major redevelopment project in Springfield.
The grant, made available through the Vermont Community Development Program, will help repair sections of the former Fellows Gear Shaper/PVDC facility in downtown Springfield.  The property, largely vacant for several years, is being redeveloped by One Hundred River Street, LLC.
This award will not only help mitigate blighted areas of the former Fellows property, but also pave the way for new job creation, as well as restore an important part of Springfield’s historic downtown,� the Governor said. “This revitalization project is a perfect example of Vermont’s commitment to redeveloping its downtowns and villages as centers of social and commercial activity.�
Officials from One Hundred River Street, LLC, anticipate having a significant portion of the site demolition work completed before winter. Once renovations are completed, officials anticipate that the building will be used for office, light industrial and retail space.
The Town of Springfield and the State of Vermont have been vital in assisting us throughout this project and these funds will help us address restoration issues on the site immediately,� said Rick Genderson, who along with John Meekin, is a principal of One Hundred River Street, LLC.
Smoke Stack taken down at PVDC!
The smoke stack at the Old Fellows Gear Shaper building was taken down Monday September 28th at around eleven in the morning. It is progress towards the redevelopment of this building and we will be seeing more visiable progress in the near future.
