Report suggests battery plant could be used for housing

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A new report looking for possible ways to redevelop the now-closed Energizer industrial buildings in Bennington says it could be converted into hundreds of units of housing.

When the company vacated the buildings earlier this year, the town began working with the Bennington County Regional Commission to study potential reuse or redevelopment of the 9.3-acre site, which includes 300,000-square-feet of floor space located about a half-mile from the center of town.

The report says Bennington is experiencing a critical housing shortage. The building could be converted into 235 rental units and 135 homeowner units.