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MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — This summer, a major excavation project is underway at the corner of South Main Street and College Street in Middlebury. The old municipal building, a familiar part of the town landscape since its completion as a high school in 1911, is being demolished and trucked away. The result of this work opens up a new vista of campus that today’s residents would only have seen in historic photos or drawings. Replacing the building will be a new park with an estimated completion date of fall, 2016.

In a new video, Professor Emeritus of History of Art and Architecture Glenn Andres tells the story of the building and its interesting role in Middlebury town history.

Removal of the former municipal building and construction of the park are the final steps in a major cooperative effort between the College and town to improve downtown Middlebury. The construction phase of the voter-approved project began in October, 2014, when a College-owned home – Osborne House – was moved from Main Street across the Cross Street Bridge to open up space for a new Town Office on the roundabout in Middlebury. Shortly afterward, construction began on a new town recreation center on Creek Road in Middlebury and on the new town offices. Both buildings are now completed.

Video: Fly over the demolition site for a perspective on where the new park will go.