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Select Board weighs historic-grant easement, $4.5M–$5M cost estimate cited for redevelopment
Summary
Bakersfield officials discussed pursuing a Paul Bruhn historic revitalization grant that would require an easement and commit the Vermont Preservation Trust to preservation oversight; developers' cost estimates to convert the Brigham building to apartments ranged from $4.5 million to $5 million.
The Bakersfield Select Board discussed whether to pursue a Paul Bruhn historic revitalization grant that, if awarded, would require the town to accept an easement monitored by the Vermont Preservation Trust.
The grant coordinator told the board that easement lengths scale with awards — for example, she said a $50,000 award would carry a five-year easement and a $100,000 award would require a 10-year easement — and that the Preservation Trust would require notice of any damage and would monitor whether federal historic-preservation standards were met. "If they're going to call it historic and try to save it," one selectboard member said, "I want to see use ideas first." The coordinator added that the building currently has a letter of eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places but is not listed, which affects what volunteers can do without jeopardizing future grant eligibility.
Separately, board members reviewed redevelopment options for the Brigham building. A contractor cited in the meeting (reported by a board member) estimated conversion to apartments would cost between $4.5 million and $5 million to make the project viable as apartments; the board discussed three options for moving forward: sell the building to an outside owner (including possibly selling for $1 and letting the buyer assume redevelopment costs), commission an engineering estimate to renovate it for town use (library, offices, meeting rooms), or remove the structure and convert the site to green space. One selectboard member summarized the board’s position: "We need to give them the three options with the pricing — this is what it's going to cost. We make a decision and go with it."
Board members also noted preservation-trust restrictions influence the project's economics because compliance can limit development density and add cost. The board agreed to pursue clearer cost estimates and options, including an engineering bid and a cost-to-sell analysis, before making any formal commitment.
