Belvidere Community Trust
Transforming the Belvidere School into a vibrant community hub
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The town can purchase the Belvidere School building for just $1.
We can transform it into a thriving community space that connects with the future town forest.
What This Space Could Become
Emergency Shelter
Safe haven during emergencies and severe weather
Commercial Kitchen
Space for local food entrepreneurs and community meals
Nature Center
Gateway to town forest with educational programs and community garden space
Mixed Commercial and Municipal
Co-working space, mixed municipal use, startups and remote workers
Event Space
Group classes, community gatherings, meetings, and celebrations
Learning Center
Workshops, classes, makerspace, and educational programs
Our Objective
The town can purchase the Belvidere School building for just $1, and we're interested in forming a community trust to help manage it and bring it back to life. This is an incredible opportunity for Belvidere, and we need your input to make it happen.
The building has so much to offer. There's a full commercial kitchen from when it was an operating school, plus classrooms just waiting to be transformed. The cafeteria can seat over 100 people, and the library still has its beautiful high ceilings and natural light. What would you like to see here? A community café? Workshop spaces? A place for local entrepreneurs? We want to hear your ideas.
🌟 Prime Location
The property adjoins land that will become Belvidere's town forest, creating a unique opportunity for indoor-outdoor community programming, nature-based education, and community gardening.
Vermont has a program called the Village Trust Initiative that funds exactly these kinds of projects. The next application round is due in September, with grants up to a few hundred thousand dollars plus matching funds we'd need to raise locally.
Your Voice Matters
We're gauging community support and gathering input before the September application deadline. Your ideas and involvement will help shape what this space becomes. If enough people are interested, we'll organize meetings to develop our vision together.