To the editor:
The Greensboro Town Hall Gym open house on July 4 after the parade was a huge success. It was incredible to see so many neighbors filling the space, sharing memories and looking toward the future of this beautiful building.
Over 150 people came through to see the gym on the third floor, and many shared their ideas for the space, including open gym, yoga, dance and fitness classes, pickup soccer and basketball, pickleball, square dancing, open mics, blues jam, movie nights, ping pong, plays, coffee shop and cafe, talent show, community meal and town meeting.
Some folks started playing basketball, others admired the view from the many large windows, and many were excited about all the possibilities for the use of the upstairs space.
For those who want to know more about the building, the initial report by Barrett Architecture with Schaal Engineering (dated July 8, 2026) is now available. You can read the full report on Greensboro’s website: greensborovt.gov/wp-content/uploads/documents/Minutes/Selectboard/2026-0708-SB-meeting/Town-Hall-report.pdf.
The report offers some reassuring conclusions, including that the building is a “very good serviceable building in an acceptable state of condition” and, contrary to rumor, there is “no record of the building ever having been officially condemned.”
What’s next? Mr. Barrett has laid out a very clear, practical path forward. He suggests meeting with the fire marshal to establish a baseline and get the gym open as soon as possible for “modest and reasonable use of the third-floor space,” which would safely accommodate up to 49 people.
During his presentation at the July 8 Greensboro Select Board meeting, Barrett generously offered to serve on a committee to help us take the next steps with building assessment and repairs. He can also assist us with getting the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which would open up some funding opportunities. Barrett successfully navigated this same situation with a similar town hall building in Fairlee. We are very fortunate to have his expertise available for our project.
We have a beautiful community asset and an expert ready to guide us. Let’s support our select board in getting this vital community space open for use as soon as possible.
Jennifer Ranz
Greensboro
