PLAINFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) – The future of the Goddard campus may not be cemented, but the incoming owner is telling the surrounding community that he’s a preservationist and a conservationist.
Mike Davidson, owner of the property redevelopment firm Execusuite, volunteered an evening with Plainfield residents curious about the upper valley landlord’s interest in purchasing the Goddard campus for $3.4 million. “We’ve had some fairly high-profile buildings, but this is the first one I’ve ever cared about,” he said.
One resident referred to the campus as part of the lifeblood of the town. Each person who spoke at the meeting wanted to keep their relationship with the campus alive. The 90 acres of undeveloped land for adventuring, the WGDR radio station for storytelling, its potential for affordable housing, and food, and while Davidson stressed he had no solidified plans for the campus, he promised to fulfill each resident’s dreams.
Plainfield has endured two summers of devastating flooding, displacing 41 residents. After declining enrollment at Goddard, the campus closed. With housing tight and a large institution shuttered, the town’s economy is under pressure.
“I think there were a lot of forward-thinking ideas about how we expand our community, and envelope these opportunities that are here, recovering from the flood, re-envisioning the campus, and joining all of these various projects as one,” said Plainfield resident Kristie Farham.
Davidson floated creating geothermal or solar energy farms but stressed he was committed to redeveloping the property to supply or build more housing. “We’re ready for emergency, interim, longer-term, and affordable,” he said.
The Davidson says that the final sale is expected to go through in late November or early December, although he hopes to move it up to early November.
