What's the secret to downtown revitalization? Ask White River Junction

Submitted by bravestatevt t3_xxz9jb in vermont

We just released a story that answers this listener question:

“Some downtowns in Vermont are really thriving, like White River Junction. How did that happen, when they used to be so bleak?”

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Some highlights:

  • "The Rio Blanco Social Club" is a WRJ-based secret society whose members include many of the people responsible for the revitalization ("Rio Blanco" = White River, en español).
  • Not everyone we spoke to agrees that WRJ used to be "bleak." ("Income issues," "cheap rent," and "underappreciated" were other terms people used to describe the town's bygone era.)
  • At one point in time, WRJ was home to a dozen bars and three movie theaters (as well as a bowling alley and indoor mini-golf)
  • There's currently a $5 million project to overhaul water and sewer downtown and make so-called "streetscape improvements."
  • The campus of the Center for Cartoon Studies includes a former post office and a former department store.
  • On top of devastating flooding due to sprinkler failure, beloved Turkish restaurant Tuckerbox is facing another serious challenge: "The lack of employees, specifically in the kitchen."

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All music in this episode is courtesy of local artists Chico Eastridge and Matt Mazur.

Link to listen: https://pod.link/1132586596

Link to web feature: https://www.vermontpublic.org/podcast/brave-little-state/2022-10-06/whats-the-secret-to-downtown-revitalization-ask-white-river-junction

Street art on the back side of the clothing store Revolution. Today's White River Junction embraces a mixture of old and new. And above all, it's a place where creativity reigns. (Angela Evancie/Vermont Edition)

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Comments

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Haltmaw t1_irf8fah wrote

Ultimately it comes down to the individuals giving a damn. Look up any interviews with people who just make that town great. Matt Bucy, Gabriel Quirk, Kim Souza…

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listen_youse t1_irfxuwr wrote

It helps a lot if regional and long distance traffic is not speeding through the main streets of your town. WRJ has local traffic, the rest is on the interstates. Rutland is doomed as long as 4 lanes of 40 mph traffic and a square mile of strip malls are right where the heart of town should be.

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wouldauserbyanyother t1_irg8i83 wrote

Revitalize for who? Certainly not the people who live there. The secret was attracting wealth from the surrounding community, which now makes it unaffordable for the people who helped make it what it is.

https://www.vnews.com/White-River-Junction-resident-faces-the-housing-squeeze-43933697

https://www.vnews.com/Curtain-Comes-Down-on-Northern-Stage-Tenants-40006957

The town is now mostly owned by one man, who demands high rents for mold infested old buildings, or small studio apartments.

https://www.vnews.com/Mike-Davidson-real-estate-empire-spans-Upper-Valley-17351368

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IndefinableMustache t1_irgezak wrote

Replying to wouldauserbyanyother (#54,271)

Only one of those articles are from pre-2021, everywhere is facing a housing crisis. WRJ has made serious improvements for years before then. I’m sure businesses like Trailbreak, Tuckerbox, River Roost, Tip Top pottery, White River Grow Pro and that candy/ice cream shop have appreciated the revitalization.

What would you have done differently?

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deadowl t1_irgofht wrote

They've got some OK Turkish food.

Edit: seriously, check out the Turkish food.

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