June, 2024:
Repurposing of the Methodist Church & Parsonage
The Bend Revitalization Initiative (BRI) applied for a grant from the Village Trust Initiative (VTI), a collaboration of Preservation Trust of VT, Council for Rural Development, and the Vermont Community Foundation, to renovate the closed Methodist Church and Parsonage on Main Street.
The purpose of the VTI is to repurpose old and historical buildings in very small towns in Vermont.
In August, 2024, the BRI was notified that we were one of seven out of 72 applicants awarded a grant.

May, 2024:
Construction of a Trailhead
in the Bend
In 2023, the Bend
Revitalization Initiative conducted a fundraising to obtain funding for a
Trailhead where the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail crosses Main Street.
The Trailhead was constructed during the summer of 2024, and opened in September.
The Trailhead includes bike racks, a picnic table, many benches, a bike repair station, a mural the celebrates the railroad history in the Bend, and a parking lot.

April 2022:
Bend Municipal Plan
The Bend Revitalization Initiative won a grant from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to prepare a Municipal Plan for the Bend.
The Plan was completed and published in April, 2022 and is available here.

November, 2018.
The Bend PLACE Project
Lauren Sopher, then a student at the University of Vermont, prepared a PLACE Study, or Place-Based Landscape Analysis and Community Engagement Study.
The report is included here.
