Winooski Housing Updates: Mass evictions and upcoming developments

The Winooski Block (1867) in the center of the city of Winooski, Vermont.

Original photo taken in August 2019 by Ken Gallager can be found here.

Two dozen families in a Winooski apartment complex are being evicted in order to make way for a large-scale renovation and rent-hikes on the property.

On Feb. 2 tenants at 300 Main Street received notice from their landlord, that their lease would terminate on June 30 and that they must move out.

The eviction comes in the aftermath of an investigation published last year by Seven Days and VPR on the Bove properties which outlined a litany of health code violations, a trail of legal issues and substandard living conditions.

Many of the residents who are to be evicted are refugee families with children in the Winooski school system. They will be facing a tight housing market, with nearly no affordable family-sized rental available.

Read the latest on the evictions from Seven Days and VPR, and from VTDigger.org.

In Winooski, there are three housing projects under construction, each of which would provide new units available for rent or purchase, according to officials from the Winooski Housing Commission.

The Champlain Housing Trust is developing a complex of condos at 32 Malletts Bay Ave which would provide 20 3-bedrooms homes for purchase. 

“Butternut Grove adds a twist to already complex real estate development by employing New Market Tax Credits as part of the financing. This program incentivizes development in economically disadvantaged communities, allowing Champlain Housing Trust to offer homes at a more affordable price,” the description on the CHT website states. 

The prices of these units would be anywhere from $149,500 to $184,500 for a rowhouse. The project is on track to be completed by June 2022 of this year.

JWSR properties are in the process of putting up a two-story building at 62 Weaver St., which would be have eight residential units.

The City of Winooski received a zoning application for this property on Jan. 14, 2021. Further details are yet to come.

Dagasse Co. is building a development called “City Gardens” at 355 Main St. which is slated to  contain 30 dwelling units 21 of which will be studio apartments and 9 of which will be one-bedroom apartments.

These units start at $1400/month rent and go as high as $1675/month. The project is planned to be completed in Spring 2022.