2023 was a year during which some major building projects got off the ground — or at least off the drawing board.

Among them was a proposed major renovation and expansion of Middlebury’s Ilsley Public Library. The Middlebury selectboard during the fall unanimously endorsed the concept of a two-story renovation/expansion plan for the 100-year-old Main Street library, along with a proposed reconfiguration of the municipal parking lot behind Ilsley to avert a loss of spaces. This followed a busy August, during which library officials picked Wiemann Lamphere Architects and the ReArch Company to create a final design for the Ilsley project, which would afford 24,000 square feet for library services. Ilsley officials are hoping for a spring 2024 vote on the project, which could cost upwards of $14.8 million.

Just around the corner from the library, at 68 South Pleasant St., workers broke ground in December on a $7.5 million renovation/expansion project for Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater. The centerpiece of the project: a 7,000-square-foot, three-story addition onto the southwest end of THT building that will host rehearsal studios, performances, receptions and arts education. The project also provides for a new outdoor plaza to host performances, celebrations and to serve as an informal gathering spot for the community.

THE FRONT PAGE of the Addison Independent on Jun. 26

Meanwhile, in the Little City, demolition and site work got underway for a project known as “Vergennes Grand Senior Living.” Once completed, it will transform the existing Vergennes Residential Care senior housing facility at 34 North St. into an interconnected, 53-room, four-building care home capable of accommodating up to 82 elders with modest means. Charlotte residents Dan and Rebecca Hassan are the driving force behind the $25 million project.

In Bristol, construction continued on a new commercial business park off Firehouse Drive, near the Bristol fire station. The so-called Stoney Hill Business Park’s first building is expected to be completed this month and, early this year, will begin housing AllEarth Renewables, a company currently based in Williston that makes solar trackers and other green energy components. 

Middlebury College was also part of the miniature building boom. The institution broke ground on a new first-year dorm to replace Battell Hall, which currently houses 40% of the incoming class. The new 87,000-square-foot, four-story building will have 148 doubles and two singles, all of which will be fully accessible. All of the bathrooms will be gender neutral. Occupancy is planned in 2025.

More construction requires good infrastructure, and Middlebury, Bristol and Vergennes took steps to bolster water and sewer services.

Bristol officials learned they’ll need to replace around half of the village’s water lines. They got off to a great start with replacement of a significant stretch of water main on Pine Street.

Middlebury began the first phase of a two-year effort to replace the municipal waterline on South Street, which serves Porter Medical Center and Middlebury Regional EMS. Plans for big changes to the Vergennes sewer system proceeded apace in 2023.