GREENSBORO – The property containing the former Methodist church and parsonage on Main Street in Greensboro Bend is currently under a purchase option agreement between the Greensboro Community Trust (GCT) and the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. The goal is to repurpose and revitalize the church buildings and property for multiple uses to benefit the wider community.
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The reimagining of the former church and parsonage is the current project of the GCT.
Called “The Steeple,” this project will look to bring the former church building back to life as a community gathering place for both regular use and scheduled events.
Feedback from a series of community events, surveys and an open house held over the last 18 months, confirmed a desire to transform the former sanctuary into a multi-use space, as well as restore the commercial kitchen and dining area on the ground level.
Ideas regarding the parsonage building, which is in need of more extensive renovation, include dividing the living space into smaller affordable housing units and adding potential hostel rooms serving the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.
Members of the GCT have been reviewing the conditions of the property. Initial building assessments have been carried out and discussions are underway regarding the water and wastewater capacity, which will be essential to determining the feasibility for any future use.
This spring, with the ongoing support provided by the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the Vermont Council on Rural Development, through the Village Trust Initiative, the GCT will be conducting a full environmental review and impact assessment. Initial architectural plans will be created and a feasibility analysis carried out to determine how the property can meet the variety of needs and wants identified, and what funding sources are available to bring those ideas to life.
The GCT is a volunteer-led organization that grew out of the Bend Revitalization Initiative. The community support for, and involvement in, the buildout of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) trailhead parking area, pollinator gardens and mural, provided a foundation for community-led development of spaces celebrating community and local history.
The mission of the GCT is to continue this approach, creating strong social infrastructure and enhancing opportunity through the acquisition, transformation and sustained management of spaces and places within the greater Greensboro community.
For more information on The Steeple project, or to support the GCT work, contact [email protected].
