Winooski outlines $28.2M Main Street rebuild with bond and USDA financing; outreach targets New Americans

Jon Rauscher, presenting Winooski’s Main Street Revitalization project, described a full reconstruction that replaces utilities, undergrounds aerial lines and reconfigures the corridor to include a northbound bike lane, southbound bike sharrows, wider sidewalks, street trees and new crosswalks.

Rauscher presented the project cost and financing: a $28.2 million total cost that includes design, construction and inspection, with a $22 million construction contract. Funding includes a $23 million bond and $5.5 million in grants; Rauscher said USDA rural development financing at a 3.125% interest rate results in an annual general fund debt of about $800,000.

He noted the project began as a CCRPC scoping study in approximately 2017 and is expected to be substantially completed after the 2025 construction season. Outreach efforts were emphasized: monthly multilingual updates, a 24‑hour project hotline, email, and a business support outreach campaign aimed at mitigating construction impacts for local businesses, particularly New Americans.

Committee members asked about paving and trees. Sam Andersen confirmed current paving is temporary and will be dug up for final paving; Chris Yuen asked about conflicts between street trees and underground utilities, and Rauscher said the city had considered Silva Cells but is not moving forward with them now, and the tree question remains active.

No formal TAC action was taken on the Winooski project during this meeting.