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bonanzapineapple t1_jdb4vhx wrote

Looks super modern! More Burlington vibes than Brattleboro tbh

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AdventureSheepies t1_jdb67ba wrote

It's probably not going to happen as they originally planned. They released this just prior to the start of the pandemic, and since then the construction costs have skyrocketed. As far as I know, they haven't announced any updated plans.

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you_give_me_coupon t1_jdb7u75 wrote

I have no idea if you're being sarcastic or not, but that building is repulsive at a visceral level. Architecture like that is designed to make people feel alienated, uncomfortable, and adrift. Inshallah, it will not be built.

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Galadrond t1_jdbe13q wrote

It’s absolutely hideous and looks like a fish tank.

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4ak96 t1_jdc74uw wrote

why this and not affordable housing though…. the BMAC already has a suitable spot

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captainogbleedmore t1_jdcbo8u wrote

I would imagine that they wouldn't begin until after the new bridge is open. Would make a nice gateway to the future island park.

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gkern86 t1_jdcdb8r wrote

Replying to sad0panda (#2,315,857)

Right ? It's been a few years since I've been down there but I thought it was in line with the co-op. And like others have said, definitely an improvement over the shit heap there currently

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Rare_Message_7204 t1_jdcdpwu wrote

How would an art museum of that size be profitable in Brattleboro?

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ScrodLeader t1_jdceii7 wrote

Replying to 4ak96 (#2,315,417)

Please no. Windham & Windsor Housing Trust already owns most of the multi family buildings in this town. Not that I’m suggesting more overpriced luxury apartments, but “affordable housing” has been co-opted into an absolute racket on a local level.

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you_give_me_coupon t1_jdcw9n5 wrote

Replying to canadacorriendo785 (#2,313,270)

> Dude right now it's an ugly 1950s one story building that's the most out of place building in downtown and has a negative impact on the overall feeling of enclosure and sense of place.

Yes, the existing building is very bad. That doesn't mean it should be replaced with something differently hideous. Why set the bar so low?

> One modern building in the entire town is not a bad thing.

There are already quite a few monstrosities: the library, the people's bank building, the coop. I fear this building will add one more bleak, unadorned 5-over-1 turd made out of petroleum glues to the list.

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Practical-Intern-347 t1_jdds6gs wrote

I have an insider knowledge that this project is not happening. No development work has continued following a not-quite-successful fundraising effort. Following that, the pandemic came in and crapped all over the project budget via blowing out construction costs past what the project could afford.

Rest easy r/vermont, this prominent downtown site will continue to flounder as a single-level strip mall and crumbling brownfield site for the foreseeable future.

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greycella t1_jddutxr wrote

I think this may have been a dodged bullet. Regardless of how one feels about the rendering….the museum’s capacity to maintain ownership of the building (and thus the public access spaces they used as part of getting it approved) was a real question mark. Longstanding board members of the museum resigned due to a lack of transparency and space for discourse in the process. It’s a great little museum but I’m not so sure all those train tourists from NYC were going to come in droves when so many museums exist down there…nor am I sure they could effectively compete with Mass MoCA.

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Squee1396 t1_jde6ss6 wrote

Anyone is Brattleboro interested in playing dungeons and dragons or another role playing game please hit me up!

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canadacorriendo785 t1_jdef5g5 wrote

Replying to you_give_me_coupon (#2,318,091)

Entire neighborhoods that look like this like the Seaport District in Boston are a monstrosity and hostile to human use. Having some variety in architectural style in the Downtown on the other hand is not a bad thing at all.

The library and the bank building are hardly modern by the standards of anywhere outside of Vermont and the biggest issue with the Coop is the parking lot not the style of the building itself.

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TheTr7nity t1_jdf8aaa wrote

It’ll probably take forever to start

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IcyEdge6526 t1_jdfetqp wrote

Replying to Rare_Message_7204 (#2,315,988)

A beautiful museum (and better appealing area of Brattleboro) would attract VT and out of state patrons to local businesses. People would likely eat lunch or dinner, craft beers, stop at mocha joes, Sam’s, etc.

I’d also think that it could motivate local businesses or developers to invest in Brattleboro.

I’d think a museum would also support the local culture… schools, people who are interested in the space. This is an area where where local government invests. Private companies don’t create museums.

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you_give_me_coupon t1_jdfkia2 wrote

Replying to canadacorriendo785 (#2,323,614)

> Entire neighborhoods that look like this like the Seaport District in Boston are a monstrosity and hostile to human use. Having some variety in architectural style in the Downtown on the other hand is not a bad thing at all.

I agree about the Boston seaport. But every new modernist building makes the area around it worse. Every one of them should be opposed.

> The library and the bank building are hardly modern by the standards of anywhere outside of Vermont

They're not new, but their aesthetic style - bleak, flat, harsh - is absolutely modern. They all fall in the same aesthetic category as the proposed BMAC turd.

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Galadrond t1_jdgruo4 wrote

Replying to Practical-Intern-347 (#2,326,349)

Affordable by Brattleboro standards for a two - three bedroom apartment would be ~$700 a month (with heat, water, no electricity) and ~$1200 a month (with all utilities included). Anything above $1500 a month is just highway robbery and really ought to be illegal.

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Practical-Intern-347 t1_jdhdast wrote

Replying to Galadrond (#2,331,890)

Interesting. That'll be a tough expectation to carry. If you bought a duplex with 2x 2 bedroom apartments in cash (so purchase price doesn't matter), it would cost ~$500/mo/unit to pay the taxes and insurance, much less set aside any extra to repair the roof in the future, maintain the HVAC, etc. Add a mortgage and you're bust. Going to include utilities for your tenant? Where does that get paid?

Also, the state's formal definition of affordable is for all housing expenses not to exceed 30% of the gross income of a household making 80% of the area median family income (MFI). For 2022, Windham County's MFI is $80,400. The maximum allowable rent (including utilities) for a household earning 80% MFI under that regime would be $1,286 for a one-bedroom, $1,544 for a two-bedroom and $1,783 for a three bedroom. The maximum These are the HUD-provided numbers by which all state and federal programs operate.

For your $1200/mo 2-bedroom, the MFI table would put you at 60% MFI (or less.)

I don't mean to argue with what you believe is affordable or reasonable, but these are the economics and demographic data.

edit: typos were confusing

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Practical-Intern-347 t1_jdhozek wrote

Replying to Galadrond (#2,331,890)

My other question would be-- what should we charge people who make $200k/year and want to live in apartments downtown? Rent burdening that $200k household at the 30% level would $5,000/mo. Those folks could easily pay $2,500.

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BlaiddDrwg82 t1_jdosddt wrote

This looks awful. The cute little building (apartment?) behind the current building will disappear. I love that little brick building.

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Galadrond t1_jdu5qpi wrote

Replying to Practical-Intern-347 (#2,333,833)

I’m just stating what things are actually worth based on the income available to most people in Windham County. Also Landlords are charging about twice as much as what the state would indicate as affordable. A three bedroom apartment in Brattleboro usually goes for over $3000 a month.

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Galadrond t1_jdu6edn wrote

Replying to Practical-Intern-347 (#2,335,260)

Generally speaking the New Yorkers moving to Bratt are fueling the greed of unscrupulous landlords booting their tenants so that they can turn around and charge clueless transplants three times as much. We need to make sure that current residents are getting first pick for all apartments and we DESPERATELY need rent control. Those clueless New Yorkers will just have to look elsewhere.

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