By Matt Ryan, Free Press Staff Writer •

ESSEX JUNCTION — The owners of a student housing complex in Essex Junction have begun to plan for life after those students leave.

Last month, the New England Culinary Institute decided to move its 120 students living in the village to its Montpelier campus by September. Their departure will leave behind 13 buildings on Franklin Street near downtown Essex Junction — buildings village officials hope fill up soon.
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Kurt Montgomery, vice president of 222 Franklin Inc. of Essex Junction, which owns the property, said his company intends to convert the nine dormitories into one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The company has no plans for the four administrative buildings located in a mixed-use commercial zone, Montgomery said.

After a series of meetings with NECI officials, 222 Franklin Inc. agreed to terminate the institute’s leases, some of which ran through 2017. Construction of the campus began in 1996, when NECI moved to Essex, and continued through last year.

“It’s in our best interest to move forward and make these conversions,” Montgomery said, adding, “It is unfortunate for us.”

Converting the dormitories will involve moving around partitions and refurbishing the apartments, he said.

“I’m anticipating in six months, we’ll fill the units; that’s a guess,” Montgomery said. “We have other rentals in the area that have done well.”

Village trustee George Tyler said he welcomed more housing to the area, but wanted to see the administrative buildings put to good use.

“I would like to see some businesses in there as well,” Tyler said. “We need to expand the tax base.”

Village President Larry Yandow said he would like to see students from another school live in the dormitories.

“I would like to see another campus situation,” Yandow said. “NECI’s been awfully good down there. I would like to see the same situation.”

Montgomery said his company rents other property to Vermont Technical College students, and might consider renting the NECI campus to more students.

The Essex (formally The Inn at Essex) will retain NECI chefs and pick up 20 to 40 paid interns from the institute to fill the void of the departing students, said Jim Glanville, the culinary resort’s general manager.

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