PLAINFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) – Goddard College has announced the sale of its campus to a local nonprofit.
After years of turmoil, the experimental liberal arts school announced earlier this spring it would be closing.
The school’s board of trustees has now accepted a bid from the Greatwood Project to purchase its campus. The local nonprofit is comprised of former students, community members, and others as a way to preserve and enhance the legacy of the college. It is expected to use the campus for affordable housing communal workspaces, and other local projects.
“The Goddard Board is hopeful that this sale will allow us to meet our fiduciary responsibility to pay our faculty and staff, pay off the debts to our creditors, and ensure a smooth transition for our students. We are also thrilled that this sale will allow the campus to remain in the hands of the Goddard community and ensure that the Goddard legacy lives on in Plainfield,” board officials said in a statement.
The board’s initial offer in May to an undisclosed private buyer raised a chorus of objections from former students and staff. That deal subsequently fell through.
The new nonprofit anticipates completing the purchase this fall.