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Newport leaders push dense downtown housing and TIF as tools to revive Northeast Kingdom economy
Summary
Newport organizers told the House Commerce committee they have a detailed master plan calling for several downtown housing projects, and they urged streamlined access to tax-increment financing and other infrastructure tools to attract developers.
Rick Uffert Chase, director of Newport Downtown Development, told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development that Newport has completed a detailed master plan that identifies nine downtown development sites and could yield more than 400 housing units if implemented.
Chase said the plan envisions mixed-use buildings with ground-floor commercial space, below-grade parking and housing above; one central block could contain about 90 units under the design. He urged the committee to make public-infrastructure funding stacks easier to assemble and to expedite tax-increment financing (TIF) support so developers can make projects financially viable.
Chase described recent local work to prepare shovel-ready projects, including a student-led renovation financed with a $500,000 loan from the Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF), and an upcoming TIF application the city plans to file next year. He also noted interest in modular construction methods after visiting a Quebec factory that delivers units about 70% complete at roughly $175–$225 per square foot (factory-complete portion).
Newport leaders and committee members discussed the high cost of building in the Northeast Kingdom, municipal capacity limits and the need for coordinated state technical assistance to help communities assemble permitting, wastewater and infrastructure plans that underpin housing development.
Why it matters: Committee members and presenters said downtown density, paired with infrastructure investment, is the primary local strategy to increase housing supply, expand the tax base and support workforce recruitment across the region.
