BRATTLEBORO-Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), the economic development organization for Windham County, recently announced the Regional Priority Projects (RPP) list for 2026. The annual list ranks the top 10 priority projects as determined by a committee made up of members from BDCC, the Windham Regional Commission, and representatives from across Windham County.
Each year, regional development organizations across Vermont gather input from planning commissions, municipalities, partner organizations, and local stakeholders to identify projects that reflect shared goals across the region. Engagement efforts include public meetings, newsletter, direct outreach, and regional convenings.
The information provided in the RPP lists are used by the state of Vermont to inform decision making for federal and state funding opportunities and to guide community planning processes. The project list development process is consistent and neutral across all of the organizations that provide RPP lists to the state.
Projects selected often advance business retention and growth, workforce and talent development, broadband expansion, innovation in economic development, and improvements to critical infrastructure. The RPP list identifies the initiatives that are most prepared to advance job creation, expand economic opportunities, and strengthen community resilience.
The top ranked projects on the Windham Regional Priority Projects list are submitted to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). They, along with other state departments, use these lists to help inform future funding allocations for many of their programs, including Northern Border Regional Commission’s annual funding.
The 2026 Windham Regional Priority Projects List:
• Grace Cottage Family Health’s new Primary Care Clinic building in Townshend.
• Storm water planning, design, implementation at the Rockingham Industrial Park.
• Route 9 water and wastewater infrastructure expansion.
• Bellows Falls Intermodal Transportation Center, at the site of the historic Bellows Falls train depot.
• South Londonderry’s village wastewater system.
• Phase II of the Green Island Project in Bellows Falls, the Great Falls Food Hub.
• A greenhouse project at Vernon Homes.
• WheelPad in Wilmington.
• Upgrades to the Brattleboro Technology & Industrial Park.
• Renovation project for the Old School Community Center in Wilmington.
BDCC collects projects across Windham and Bennington county’s Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone annually for consideration as Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Vital Projects and also draws from this pool of projects for the RPP list.
While there is often overlap, the RPP list requires projects to be well along in their planning and capital development, while CEDS Vital Projects may be in earlier stages. While these processes have emerged independently, BDCC will be continuing to bring the processes together going forward.
For a list of the 2025 CEDS Vital Projects, visit sovermontzone.com/cedsprojects.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.