The group of investors planning to restore the Brooks House has announced that Bread Loaf, out of Middlebury, Vermont, will serve as the construction manager and contractor for the project. The group still plans to complete the purchase of the building this fall and begin construction in December of this year.
Over the next several months, Bread Loaf will work with the investors and our design team to develop accurate cost estimates, secure bids from subcontractors, and finalize a construction schedule for the complex project.
We are currently finalizing floor plans with the aim of returning some of the building’s grandeur. A two-story atrium and grand stair will greet visitors entering from Main Street through the former Adagio restaurant entrance—the building’s original main entrance. The open entry will house a coffee bar and allow visitors to enter all retail spaces from inside the building. These stores will also have exterior entrances on Main Street and High Street.
Two stories would be added onto the rear, single-story portion of the building, creating additional office space and giving the building more of a distinct presence in Harmony Lot. A stair tower, added outside the rear of the main building, offers another distinct architectural element.
Stevens & Associates is also creating park-like elements in the portion of Harmony Lot closest to the building and the tunnel from High Street. Vehicular traffic through the tunnel will be maintained, but a planted courtyard will offer outdoor seating and more attractive pedestrian access to the Brooks House and neighboring buildings.
More information on the project, including detail on preleasing, is available at the project’s website. (Photo: Zachary P. Stephens/Reformer)