Brownfields
Success Story
St. Johnsbury Hardware Store Site
St. Johnsbury, Vt.
A former hardware store property in the heart of downtown St.
Johnsbury has been redeveloped into the St. Johnsbury Distillery,
which produces craft rum and other spirits, with plans to open a
tasting room and event space in the summer of 2020, The advent of
the COVID 19 pandemic changed the business plan, and the distillery
at this successfully redeveloped brownfield is now also producing
hand sanitizer to meet the growing demand for this product.
Sitting at 74 Eastern Avenue on one of St. Johnsbury downtown's
main thoroughfares, the parcel was first developed for residential use
in the late 1800's and continued as a luncheonette, various retail
stores, and a room-for-rent business over the years. The existing
wooden building was built in 1969 and was the site of the St.
Johnsbury Hardware store from 1976 until its closing in 2016. The site
is flanked on two sides by three nearby dry-cleaning establishments
that operated since the 1940s, with one still in operation today. All
three properties are currently listed by the state as hazardous waste
sites due to releases of tetrachloroethene. These vapors resulted in
gas contamination in the soil below the distillery building slab that
presented a risk of vapor intrusion into the building. Thanks to the
investment of almost $14,000 in EPA Brownfields assessment funding
by three of the project partners, the developer was able to get a firm
handle on the extent of contamination and devise a cleanup plan that
was affordable, consistent with their plans for the property, and
protective of workers and future users of the site. The partner
agencies providing these critical funds were Vermont DEC,
Northeastern Vermont Development Association and Lamoille County
Planning Commission.
Response to COVID 19 Pandemic and the
needs of the State of Vermont
St. Johnsbury Distillery uses locally sourced ingredients for its spirits.
They make their own alcohol, a decision that put the distillery in the
position to easily produce hand sanitizer. The distillery joins other
Vermont distilleries in producing hand sanitizer mostly for the local
market including those in need and first responders, in order to help stop
community spread of the disease. The distillery is now filling contracts
for agencies within the state government as well. The distillery is still
producing its rum and fulfilling curbside orders, but hand sanitizer has
become its main product during this unprecedented time.
EPA Grant Recipient:
2018 Vermont Department of Environmental
Conservation Phase 1 Assessment - $2,829
2018	Northeastern Vermont Development Association
(NVDA)/Lamoille County Planning Commission Phase 2
Assessment - $10,676
Other Funding:
2019	NVDA Regional Revolving Loan fund for
equipment purchase - $100,000
2019 VT Agency of Commerce and Community
Development Downtown tax credit funding - $103,000
Grant Type:
Assessment
Current Use:
Distillery and future Event Space
Former Use:
Retail
rlOHHSBUR
Vermont Sanitize'
'"Menis: Ethanol, Dteite^5
Glycerin. Hydrogen Pet"1
St Johnsbury Distil'";'
St- Johnsbury. Vet"1'
&EPA
"Opportunity Zones: helping to bring
investment to distressed communities"
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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Today
The site has been transformed from a vacant storefront into a vital
downtown business that is already beginning to spark economic
development and employment in the area. An empty restaurant building
next door was for rent without any takers for several years. A new
restaurant is set to open there in the summer of 2020, improving the
outside appearance of the property and noting the selection of their
location to align with the recent Brownfield redevelopment.
Brendan Hughes, President St. Johnsbury Distillery states: "St.
Johnsbury is a special place. Having the opportunity to grow up here
has really molded me into the person I am today. I couldn't think of a
better place to move back to and be an active member of the
community. St. Johnsbury Distillery was started with the mission to help
promote the town and surrounding areas through economic and social
growth. We are surrounded by a great team all determined by this
same goal that makes me excited for the times ahead."
Opportunity Zones State of Vermont
OPPORTUNITY
¦NOW
"As the planning and development
organization for our 3-county region
of VT, NVDA was excited for the
opportunity to work with the
Hughes family on their important
redevelopment project. Having
access to EPA Brownfields funding
allowed us to assist the owners in
assessing the environmental
conditions and plan for a
remediation within their
redevelopment. Utilizing our
revolving loan fund, we were also
able to assist with equipment
purchases. This public-private
partnership has resulted in a
successful redevelopment in the
heart of St. Johnsbury. St.
Johnsbury Distillery will become an
important destination that benefits
other businesses in the downtown."
Dave Sriedeker, Executive Director
NVDA
For more information:
Visit the EPA Brownfields website at
www.epa.gov/brownfields or contact
Christine Beling at 617-918-1792 or
beling.christine@epa.gov
East Burke
CALEDONIA
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South
Wheelock .
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