lower levels, residents have goods
and services just footsteps away.
Businesses now have clients at their
doors and it is a synergy that acti-
vates Main Street.
The Putnam Block Redevelopment
in Bennington is a perfect example
of community-led revitalization. It is
a 4-acre block that sits at the inter-
section of two major Vermont travel
corridors: US Route 9 and US Route
7. Its anchor is the historic Putnam
building, a beautiful curved brick
building that wraps this prominent
corner. The Putnam Block is current-
ly obscured by hundreds of feet of
construction fence—but not for long!
Bennington’s historic Putnam Hotel now under reconstruction
C
losed storefronts and
crumbling historic buildings
are threatening countless
Main Streets in rural downtowns
across this country. But thanks
to community-led revitalization,
Bennington is an exception.
Recognizing that a vibrant down-
town is the key to the health and
wealth of all, community leaders
are stepping up to become devel-
opers. Businesses, institutions, and
citizens are banding together to make
investments on Bennington’s Main
Street, saving their historic places
and creatively adapting them to meet
modern day needs with restaurants
and cafes; galleries; co-working and
maker-spaces; retail stores; and bou-
tique hotels and rental housing. With
mixed-use buildings that include res-
idential housing in the upper stories
and commercial businesses on the
The Bennington Redevelopment
Group (BRG)—a group of local
business leaders, institutions, and
civic-minded investors—is dedicat-
ed to improving their community
through strategic investment such as
the Putnam Block Redevelopment.
The partners include The Bank of
Bennington, Southwestern Vermont
Health Care, Bennington College,
Dimitri Garder/Global Z Interna-
tional, Brian and Jennifer McKenna,
Anthony and Jacqueline Marro,
Sheela and Elisabeth Harden, M&S
Development, and 4 Putt Properties,
LLC.
manchester life magazine 2020 45