Benn High: A Historic Building Becomes a $40 Million Community Investment

Originally published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on April 17, 2026

The redevelopment of the former Bennington High School is turning a long-vacant 100,000-square-foot landmark into a new community anchor. The approximately $40.2 million project combines housing, child care, recreation, education and community services while preserving one of downtown Bennington’s most recognizable historic buildings.

The numbers illustrate the project's reach. Benn High is expected to create 22 workforce housing units, support 27 new permanent full-time jobs and retain another 35, while its construction has generated 187 jobs. A new YMCA child care facility will have capacity for 102 children, and recreation, senior and UVM Extension programming will serve thousands of residents. The project is a powerful example of adaptive reuse functioning as economic infrastructure — addressing housing, workforce, child care and downtown revitalization through a single investment.

Read the original story from the National Trust for Historic Preservation