Designated Villages & Downtowns

Vermont Downtown Program

The Vermont Downtown Program was established in 1994 to provide technical assistance and training to communities and help them develop skills and strategies for their downtown revitalization efforts. It is part of the Vermont Department of Historic Preservation.

Downtown Designation

The 1998 Downtown Development Act provides substantial support for downtown revitalization. Towns that receive downtown designation under the Act are eligible for a number of benefits, including tax credits, loans and grants from various state agencies. To qualify, towns must develop a comprehensive revitalization strategy for the downtown district and demonstrate broad-based community support. The strategy must involve a long-term commitment to enhancing economic opportunities, preserving historic buildings, and improving public spaces and infrastructure in the commercial district. Interested communities should contact the Vermont Downtown Program for more information. While participation in the Vermont Downtown Program’s Comprehensive Training Program is recommended, it is not required for downtown designation.

The following towns have Downtown Designation status in our region:

Town NameExpiration Date
Hartford - White River JunctionSeptember 2024
RandolphOctober 2024

Village Center Designation

The Second Downtown Development Act (2002) created a new level of designation for Village Centers. Village centers are eligible for benefits including tax credits and priority consideration from other state programs and agencies.

The Following Towns have Village Designation status in our region:

Town NameExpiration DateExpiration Year
ChelseaApril 20262026
Thetford Village Designation: East ThetfordApril 20292029
Thetford Village Designation: North ThetfordApril 20292029
Thetford Village Designation: Post MillsApril 20292029
Thetford Village Designation: Thetford CenterApril 20292029
Thetford Village Designation: Thetford HillApril 20292029
RandolphJune 20282028
TunbridgeFebruary 20262026
Tunbridge:
North Tunbridge		February 20262026
Newbury: Newbury VillageJanuary 20242024
Newbury: Wells River VillageJanuary 20242024
BrookfieldJanuary 20272027
Corinth: CookevilleJanuary 20292029
Corinth: East CorinthJanuary 20292029
FairleeJanuary 20312031
Lower GranvilleJuly 20302030
Upper GranvilleJuly 20302030
SharonJuly 20312031
Hartford:
Quechee 		June 20252025
HancockJune 20302030
West FairleeJune 20312031
Woodstock: TaftsvilleJune 20312031
RoyaltonJuly 20322032
South RoyaltonJuly 20322032
Hartford Village CenterMarch 20252025
BethelMay 20242024
BradfordMay 20242024
WoodstockMay 20242024
BarnardNovember 20242024
Hartland:
Hartland 3 Corners		November 20252025
Hartland: Hartland 4 CornerNovember 20252025
Hartland: North HartlandNovember 20252025
Plymouth: TysonNovember 20302030
Plymouth: UnionNovember 20302030
PittsfieldNovember 20312031
RochesterSeptember 20262026
StraffordSeptember 20262026
Strafford: South StraffordSeptember 20262026
VershireSeptember 20302030

For more information on the Vermont Downtown and Village Designation program, go to the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Revitalization web site. Instructions on how a community can apply for Downtown or Village Designation can be downloaded from this site.

TRORC can help you apply for Downtown or Village designation. Most of the towns in our region are of a size where Village Designation is most appropriate. To date we have applied for and successfully received village designation for 34 villages and 2 downtowns throughout our region. We can assist you with the entire process, including education about the program, application and mapping free of cost.

Staff Contact

Sarah Wraight

[email protected]