Barre makes 2nd attempt to sell city-owned building

BARRE, Vt. (WCAX) - Officials in Barre are trying to sell one of the city’s oldest buildings.

The Wheelock Building has been around since 1871. The City Council also tried to sell the 250-year-old building back in 2019 but later backed out after concerns about not receiving meaningful offers for the site and not wanting to part with the historic structure.

Now, city officials say selling it is what’s best for the community. “We want this building to be productive, to be contributing to the grand list. Right now we get no tax revenue for it. And so if that’s something that we can get, that helps the city’s finances. And if we developed this building in a way that is supported by the community, then I think that’s a win-win,” said Barre City Manager Nicolas Storellicastro.

City officials say any changes to the façade of the building would have to go through an approval process.

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