What’s next for the Sterling campus?
Headwaters Community Trust and Sterling College have signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the campus – another step forward in a community effort to reimagine the future of a vital asset in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom.
Headwaters now enters a period of due diligence, with closing anticipated by the end of the year.
If Headwaters acquires the property, we’ll revitalize the campus in phases, starting with established community needs — housing, childcare — while working with the community to determine what comes next.
FAQ
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Headwaters Community Trust and Sterling College have signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement for Sterling’s Craftsbury Common campus – another step forward in a community effort to reimagine the future of the campus. Headwaters now enters a period of due diligence, with closing anticipated by the end of 2026.
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As a community land trust, Headwaters is committed to a transparent, community-informed development process that is financially sustainable and meets the needs of our service area.
Early community engagement efforts have identified housing, education, access to agricultural land, and Craftsbury Saplings' childcare expansion as priorities for the campus.
If Headwaters acquires the campus, we will launch a thorough community engagement process designed to ensure that the development of the campus is aligned with community priorities.
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Headwaters is preparing for the possibility of a successful acquisition of the campus.
We are raising funds to support property assessment, feasibility studies, community engagement and development planning.
We look forward to partnering with the broader community to determine what comes next for this vital asset.
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We’ve received early philanthropic support locally and regionally to support acquisition.
With known project priorities aligned with regional and statewide priorities, we anticipate accessing a range of public and private funding sources for further project development.
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Headwaters and Sterling initially sought to negotiate a direct sale of the campus based on the property's appraised value.
In the spring, Sterling trustees announced that due to financial obligations, they are obligated to test the property’s value on the open market.
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Headwaters is working closely with a team of advisors experienced in community, housing, and commercial real estate development, including representatives from Preservation Trust of Vermont, Northern Forest Center, and Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.
If Headwaters acquires the campus, we intend to support the expansion of local childcare center, Craftsbury Saplings. We’re also in conversation with a group of former Sterling College faculty and staff.
Headwaters looks forward to exploring further partnerships for community-aligned activities on the campus. We’re planning to launch a thorough community engagement process if/when Headwaters closes the sale.
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