School Considers Buying Ayers Brook Center

By Sandy Vondrasek Cooch

Randolph Elementary School officials are exploring the possibility of purchasing the Ayers Brook Center, a social services center adjacent to the school property.

The Ayers Brook Center houses several agencies, including Central Vermont Community Action Council, the Orange County Parent-Child Center, and Kids Place. The state's Agency of Human Services also rents space in the building.

The Randolph Area Community Development Corp. (RACDC) is owner and original developer of the property, which was converted from a group home into its current use about 10 years ago.

The property has been a regular topic of discussion at Randolph School Board meetings since early this year, when it was announced that the building and small parcel of land would be going on the market.

According to OSSU Supt. Brent Kay, RACDC approached the school district about the property late last year. Supt. Kay said that since OSSU is presently spending a significant amount of money for rent, purchase seemed a "natural thing to do."

About half of the space in the single-story building is rented by the Orange Southwest Supervisory Union, for its Early Essential Education program for at-risk preschoolers. The EEE program and CVCAC's Headstart program share a daycare space.

School Board Chair Matt Poirier noted that the property also has the advantage of adding some land--it's a fairly small parcel, however--and 10 parking spaces.

Julie Iffland, who in January became RACDC's executive director, confirmed that there have been discussions with the school district. RACDC's internal discussions about selling Ayers Brook Center, she said, started before she succeeded Jeremy Ingpen as director.

Iffland noted that RACDC, which owns a number of properties in town, periodically reviews its holdings, most of which are housing projects.

As RACDC gears up to develop a sizeable housing project on the former Ethan Allen plant property in the village--the Salisbury Square project--this was a good time to conduct such a review, Iffland said.

Supt. Kay said earlier this month that an appraisal and building inspection of the Ayers Brook Center had been completed, and that negotiations were about to get underway.

He noted that the property could likely be acquired with zero tax impact. Money in the building fund could be used for the purchase, and then rental payments from OSSU and the other agencies could be used to pay back the fund, he said.