R-70 Page 1 of 1
2023
No. R-70. House concurrent resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Vermont Downtown Program and designating March 22, 2023
as Downtown Day at the State House.
(H.C.R.51)
Offered by: Representatives Wood of Waterbury, Coffey of Guilford, Dolan of
Waitsfield, Donahue of Northfield, Garofano of Essex, Gregoire of Fairfield, Harrison of
Chittenden, Howard of Rutland City, Hyman of South Burlington, McCann of Montpelier,
McGill of Bridport, Morris of Springfield, Ode of Burlington, Priestley of Bradford, Scheu of Middlebury, Sheldon of Middlebury, Small of Winooski, Stevens of Waterbury, White of Bethel, and Whitman of Bennington Whereas, in 1998 Acts and Resolves No. 120 [the Act], as amended in 2013 Acts and Resolves No. 59, the General Assembly found that “economically strong downtowns are critical to the health and well-being of Vermont’s communities,” and that “[i]nvestments made to revitalize the State’s historic downtowns…support statewide goals concerning energy conservation… the efficient use of transportation and other infrastructure and services, the protection of the working landscape, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles,”
and Whereas, to effectuate these important objectives, the Act established the Vermont Downtown Development Board [the Board], for the designation of downtown development districts and for the granting of financial, including tax, incentives to these districts, and Whereas, in 2022, the State-designated downtown development districts received over
$27.5 million in public investment, $101.1 million in private investment, and they were the location for 149 new and expanded businesses, and more than 465 new full- and part-time jobs, and Whereas, on average, every dollar of tax credit awarded to a district leveraged $18 in new funds, and in 2022, the Board awarded $2.3 million in tax credits for 12 projects,
supporting almost $40 million in construction and rehabilitation projects, and Whereas, a supportive downtown organization is associated with each designated downtown district, and in 2022, the 24 downtown organizations contributed a combined
30,166 volunteer hours valued at $848,871, and the committed volunteers and staff of these organizations are essential in maintaining the vibrancy and economic success of the designated downtown districts, now therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
That the General Assembly commemorates the 25th anniversary of the establishment of
the Vermont Downtown Program and designates March 22, 2023 as Downtown Day at the State House, and be it further Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the Downtown Coalition and to the Vermont Downtown Development Board.
VT LEG #368930 v.1