RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) – Rutland officials are considering plans for a new downtown hotel in the same locations as the former Berwick Hotel destroyed by fire over half a century ago.
The former Berwick Hotel on the corner of Wales and Center Street was destroyed in 1973. It was the city’s deadliest fire, killing five people, and has had lasting impacts on the Marble city.
But from where those ashes fell decades ago comes a plan for a new hotel. Local construction firm Belden has applied for separate zoning and building permits for a downtown Rutland hotel.
City documents show the hotel is planned for the “pit,” a parking lot where the Berwick once stood.
“The city’s got to take up and look at what do we need to do to keep the growth going, how do we continue to drive economic change, how do we focus on housing while we’re doing that,” said Rutland Mayor Mike Doenges. He says they have focused on the location as a long-term revitalization project, potentially taking inspiration from other parts of Vermont. “The hotel is a great example. Right across the street from the hotel, the Paramount is undergoing their renovations, and the city since the ‘70s has been talking about Center Street being pedestrian space.”
“They want to make it like a Church Street in Rutland that they have in Burlington. I think that’s a good idea because we have Friday Night Live and they used to do a sidewalk sale –they don’t do that anymore,” said Michael Matt of Rutland.
Some business owners say they have heard the same story for years that the hotel project will come to fruition. “I wasn’t sure if it’s gonna become a reality. It would be lovely if it did. I feel like there’s that kind of hesitation of “We’ll, we’ve talked about this for many years. Is it going to actually happen?’” said Jennifer Usher the owner of Make it Sew.
With contaminated soil needing remediation at the site, Usher is among those hopeful that the impacts on local businesses will be minimal.
“That’s inevitable. If you start a project, you have to take on and accept the fact that there’s going to be equipment and machinery and stuff like that happening,” she said.
The mayor says if the project is approved, construction could start in the spring.