State leaders search for new use for Southeast State Correctional Facility

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - Decision-makers are grappling with what role the former Southeast State Correctional Facility should play in the community of Windsor.

The former jail, which also includes greenhouses, sits on a 100-acre plot of land in Windsor.

It closed in 2017 after it was determined to be too expensive.

Since then, local and state leaders have been searching for a new use.

In a new report, state leaders and the Mount Ascutney Regional Planning Commission say lawmakers need to decide whether to maintain ownership, sell or lease the prison to the private sector.

“I think one thing everyone can agree on is that it’s an absolutely beautiful site and to stand in the middle of a correctional facility and let out a heavy sigh and say ‘God, this is gorgeous,’ is not something that happens every day,” said Erik Filkhorn of Vermont Buildings and General Services.

The property was last appraised at $1.2 million.

But leaders say redeveloping the site for the private sector could cost big bucks.

Related Story:

What’s next for the former Windsor prison?

Copyright 2021 WCAX. All rights reserved.