Economic Development

Background

The regional economy provides the jobs, resources, and services that are needed to support the quality of life of residents and allow for continued investment in our communities. Without a strong and resilient economy, accomplishing many of the goals for the region will be difficult. The local economy has evolved over time as a result of changes in technology and transportation, and the impacts of larger national and global economic trends on Vermont. What was once an agricultural and forest-based economy in the early 19th century evolved into one where manufacturing activities became more prominent along the region’s waterways by the end of the 19th century. Today, our economy is centered primarily around services, tourism, health and education, manufacturing, and agricultural and forestry sectors.

The intensity and type of economic activity varies greatly across the region. Brattleboro and Rockingham continue to be the job centers they historically have been. These communities also have the greatest concentration of manufacturing, retail, and professional office jobs. Many communities in more rural locations of the region have limited economic activity mostly found in small-scale retail, construction trades, forestry and agriculture, and home-based businesses. Ski resorts in the region have an outsized role in influencing the local economies of the towns where they are located and adjacent communities, providing jobs at the resorts and also supporting associated retail, restaurant, accommodations, and service-based businesses, which are often more seasonal. The Windham Region is also very connected to adjacent regions and many of the main economic hubs that provide employment opportunities and services for our residents are just beyond our region’s borders.

Going forward, the region will need to continue to leverage its strengths to remain competitive in an evolving and complex global economy. The 2019 Southern Vermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy identifies several opportunities the region can build on to support economic development efforts. These include natural resources, recreational opportunities, educational and cultural institutions, momentum from recent planning initiatives, growing collaboration to address workforce issues, and creative and innovative residents and businesses. At the same time, the region faces numerous challenges that if left unaddressed will result in further economic decline. Some of the most pressing challenges include a declining and aging workforce, lack of housing and increasing housing costs, need for upgraded infrastructure, limited rural transportation and communication options, mismatch between available workforce and employer needs, lack of diversity, and the impact of climate change.

Brattleboro development credit corporation

The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a certified Regional Development Corporation that serves communities in Windham County, the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, and Winhall in Bennington County, and the town of Weston in Windsor County. The 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations partner with the state to implement economic development strategies in their regions. BDCC works to deliver technical assistance to develop and strengthen businesses, leads workforce development initiatives, and supports employment. BDCC also owns and manages two business parks and an industrial park in Brattleboro and offers low-cost commercial rental space. WRC regularly partners with BDCC on economic development issues that overlap both organizations’ responsibility. Most often, these issues are related to land use and infrastructure planning to support business needs.

BDCC’s work in workforce development has become increasingly important due to the workforce challenges discussed below. The Welcoming Communities program is aimed at helping employers attract, retain, and support new Americans. Much of the work to recruit new Americans to the region is through the Community Asylum Seekers Project and the Ethiopian Community Development Corporation. The Pipelines and Pathways Project is designed to help students prepare and find employment opportunities, which helps retain young adults in the region.

SOUTHERN VERMONT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

In 2007, BDCC and the Bennington Regional Commission formed the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies, a non-profit organization with legal affiliation to BDCC. The mission of SeVEDS is to reverse the economic decline of the Southeastern Vermont region. In 2014, SeVEDS completed a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the Windham Region and Bennington County to plan for the economic impacts from the closure of the Vermont Yankee power plant. The CEDS is a five-year plan that outlines projects and actions to implement economic development goals for the region.

In 2015, the State Legislature created the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone, which is comprised of 44 towns within the boundaries of the Windham Regional Commission and the Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC). When the CEDS was last updated in 2019, BDCC and BCRC were awarded a planning grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to develop the CEDS for the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone.

The 2019 CEDS is incorporated into this Regional Plan by reference. This means that the WRC will refer to the CEDS in the development and implementation of its plans. However, the policies of the Windham Regional Plan supersede the CEDS. SeVEDS will be completing an update to the CEDS in 2024 and once adopted it will take the place of the 2019 CEDS. There is currently an application with the federal government to designate the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone as an Economic Development District, which would open up additional grant and loan opportunities and administrative and technical assistance from the EDA.

The vision statement for the 2019 CEDS is that in 2030, the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone will be home to a resilient, creative, and inclusive community in which businesses and people thrive and prosper. The plan identifies the following main objectives to reach this goal: 

1. Increase our population: Attract more people to live in Southern Vermont to participate in the community, the workforce, and support the business and civic environment 

2. Expand our business infrastructure: Create an environment that will encourage more jobs and opportunities in Southern Vermont 

3. Improve our physical infrastructure: make the critical infrastructure improvements so that Southern Vermont is resident and business ready

4. Enhance our social infrastructure: improve quality of life and stability for residents 

5. Develop our economic development capacity: enhance the ability for economic development professionals and partners to play a role in implementation