State awards $400,000 grant to Covington to rehabilitate former school; 49 rural projects share $10 million

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Secretary Yvonne Howe announced that the town of Covington received a $400,000 1 Stop for Growth grant from the state’s Rural Development Fund to advance construction documents and rehabilitation of the town's former school building, a local project planned to house municipal offices, a food incubator and other community uses.

The award was presented at a public ceremony in Covington attended by state officials and local representatives. The project — which local organizers described as a plan to restore the “Berkshire Trail” school building for town government space, a children’s library, preschool, co‑working and commercial rental space — will also host the Hilltown Community Development Corporation as an anchor tenant for a rehabilitated kitchen and cafeteria to support a mobile market and food‑production incubator.

The grant follows an earlier feasibility study funded by a previous 1 Stop grant. According to local remarks at the ceremony, an ad hoc group gathered community input in late…