Dear Albany General Store Supporter;
The Albany Community Trust (ACT) thanks you for helping to bring a vital community resource back to life.
It’s been a while since we’ve connected and you very likely have questions about our progress, the status and the plan going forward.
We will be hosting an ice cream social on Tuesday, August 13, at 6 p.m. at the Albany Town Hall. Documents and drawings will be on display and board members available to answer questions.
ACT’s efforts to restore the store began in late 2017 when a group of volunteers began meeting to explore what could be done to reopen the Albany General Store .
Though it may not look like much has happened since then, a lot has been accomplished!
January 2018: ACT became a Vermont Domestic Nonprofit Corporation.
March 2018: Grondin house lot to the south and adjacent to the store property was purchased.
April 2018 – Present: Environmental Site Assessments are still being performed by our environmental engineering consultant.
May 2018: Store property purchased.
April 2018 – Present: Fundraising continues. ACT and our partners raised and have spent roughly $130K to purchase the property and pay for the environmental studies. We now have in hand close to $450K so far for renovations, new construction and equipment. We believe we will need at least another $150K to complete the project.
April 2018 – Present: Property survey, septic design, site plan,and building renovation construction drawings have been ongoing and are nearly complete. The services of professional engineering firms in the areas of architecture, mechanical, plumbing, structural, and electrical have been hired resulting in design plans that will allow ACT to request bids as soon as environmental testing is completed.
February 2019: ACT received notification of approval as an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit effective January 2018. Direct donations to ACT are now tax deductible.
June 2019: Timeline for construction and re-opening revised.
Environmental testing related to the removal of underground gasoline storage tanks has taken much longer to complete than we anticipated. We had hoped to begin construction by July in order to reopen by the end of 2019. We may still be able to begin some work this fall. However, we now believe the earliest the store will be able to re-open is mid-2020.
Your ACT Board and Build Committee continues to work diligently to restore the store on the fastest possible timeline.
We welcome your feedback, questions and additional donations.
You may contact Hannah Pearce, ACT President using the email address below or connect with any ACT Board member.
Sincerely, ACT Board of Directors: Larry Bohen, Danielle Cote-Sukkaew, Robert Dewees, Kristen Fountain, Hannah Pearce, & Kristin Urie