"Bus Barns" Affordable Housing Project

Information by State  Print version   Nineteen new units of rental housing were built fronting North Winooski Avenue. The Old Bus Barn front was retained for retail outlets & for the Good News Garage.

Burlington, Vermont's Bus Barns project, at the intersection of Riverside & North Winooski Avenues, gets its name from the property's original use as a terminal and maintenance facility for the city's horse-drawn carriages and buses, circa 1875-1885.

The look of the Vermont Transit site was maintained in two of the old buildings, one of which was conveniently converted to Section 811 housing to take advantage of the wide doors and level flooring. Twenty-five units of new rental housing were built and commercial space made available for a market, dry cleaners, and for the Good News Garage.

Several funding sources came together to complete the project:

• The Burlington Community Land Trust and Housing Vermont utilized HUD's HOME program funds.
• A deferred loan came from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.
• A loan from the Federal Home Loan Bank.
• Additional funds were made available from the Historic Rehabilitation program and Low income Tax Credit Equity.