The All Access Project
at the historic Vergennes Opera House
120 Main Street, 2nd Floor City Hall
Vergennes, VT 05491
VergennesOperaHouse.org • 802.877.6737
Vergennes, VT 05491
VergennesOperaHouse.org • 802.877.6737
What is the All Access Project?
The All Access Project imagines a City Hall/Opera House that is accessible to all via an elevator tower that will be constructed and affixed to the southwest side of the building, as well as a creative and discreet lift to allow for full access to the stage and greenroom.
The Vergennes Opera House was officially reopened in 1997 after a multi-year effort to restore the community space and get it “up to code” in time for its 100th anniversary. Since that grand reopening, the Opera House restoration has continued under the direction, energy and enthusiasm of the non-profit all-volunteer team, The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House (FVOH).
Today the theater space hosts a myriad of events, some produced by FVOH as well as private funtions such as weddings and parties, and important community meetings and forums such as the annual town meeting in March.
Since the reopening in 1997, the little city of Vergennes has grown and prospered attracting new families, new retail establishments and a wide variety of restaurants. The pride in the community is palpable and improvements in the downtown have continued. The the stores and businesses on the historic Main Street are now accessible via ADA compliant sidewalks, ramps and curbing. Now, in the building’s 125th year, and after 25+ years of successfully hosting performances and public and private gatherings of all kinds, the all-volunteer Friends have set their energies to making the entire building truly accessible to all with the construction of a fully ADA compliant elevator tower and companion ADA stage and greenroom lift for performers.
The following pages illustrate the project plan. Also included are snippets taken from letters of support from the following individuals and organizations.
The Vergennes Opera House was officially reopened in 1997 after a multi-year effort to restore the community space and get it “up to code” in time for its 100th anniversary. Since that grand reopening, the Opera House restoration has continued under the direction, energy and enthusiasm of the non-profit all-volunteer team, The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House (FVOH).
Today the theater space hosts a myriad of events, some produced by FVOH as well as private funtions such as weddings and parties, and important community meetings and forums such as the annual town meeting in March.
Since the reopening in 1997, the little city of Vergennes has grown and prospered attracting new families, new retail establishments and a wide variety of restaurants. The pride in the community is palpable and improvements in the downtown have continued. The the stores and businesses on the historic Main Street are now accessible via ADA compliant sidewalks, ramps and curbing. Now, in the building’s 125th year, and after 25+ years of successfully hosting performances and public and private gatherings of all kinds, the all-volunteer Friends have set their energies to making the entire building truly accessible to all with the construction of a fully ADA compliant elevator tower and companion ADA stage and greenroom lift for performers.
The following pages illustrate the project plan. Also included are snippets taken from letters of support from the following individuals and organizations.
- Mayor of Vergennes, Matt Chabot
- Former Vermont Governor, Howard Dean
- Addison County Representatives, Diane Lanpher and Matt Birong
- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Junior Warden, Chris Hale
- Vergennes Partnership President, Jen Russell
- Preservation Trust of Vermont Executive Director, Ben Doyle
- Addison County Residents, Stephen and Faith Terry
- Vergennes Opera House Benefactor and Former President, Carlotta Tippett
- Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes Director of Operatons, Lisa Davis
- Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes Board Chair, David Small
- Addison County Home, Health and Hospice CEO, Deborah Wesley
- Addison County Home, Health and Hospice Director of Development, Maureen Conrad
- Addison County Community Trust Executive Director, Elise Shanbacker
- President/Owner Spotlight Vermont, Jennifer Barden
Our Core Team: Our core project team consists of restoration specialists, Opera House board members, a local development and planning professional, the city manager, and the Vergennes Partnership. We have consulted with local and state representatives including professionals at the Vermont Department of Historic Preservation, Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Preservation Trust of Vermont, as well as regional and town planning commissions, who have all enthusiastically committed to helping us throughout each phase of the project.
All Access Project Elevator Tower - West Elevation
This new elevator tower and related landscaping, will allow for easy access to not only the first floor of city hall, but also to the second floor theater space. The tower will be architecturally interesting, functional and convenient for all to use.
Below is the architectural rendering of the tower and entryway structure as well as a picture of the current access ramp.
Below is the architectural rendering of the tower and entryway structure as well as a picture of the current access ramp.
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All Access Project Elevator Tower - South Elevation
The image below is an architectural rendering of the All Access Elevator tower as it would appear on the side of the building looking from Main Street. As you can see, the entry to the new structure would be via the alleyway situated between City Hall and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. This alleyway is easily accessible from the city’s Main Street.
Also pictured below is the image of the building and the aforementioned alleyway.
Also pictured below is the image of the building and the aforementioned alleyway.
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All Access Project - Stage and Greenroom Access
The concept drawing below shows the creative solution to making both the stage and the greenroom 100% accessible. Renovations include a lift that moves seamlessly between the auditorium level, stage level and greenroom level. It also calls for creating/retrofitting two restrooms, both of which will be ADA compliant.
Access to the lift is respectfully inside a hallway that is located behind a door, stage right
Access to the lift is respectfully inside a hallway that is located behind a door, stage right
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All Access Project Elevator Tower - Pocket Park
The landscape architectural rendering below shows the reimagined alleyway between City Hall and St. Paul’s church. Here we have taken an uninviting paved area and turned it into a public pocket park for all to enjoy. This pocket park will serve as an open, bright and safe entrance to the elevator tower, as well as a comfortable gathering space and waiting area for the TriCounty Transit bus service.
All Access Project - Proposed Budget
A project of this scale requires many things, key among these are - funding, time and patience.
Below is the proposed budget as of June 2022. Our budget is based on carefully researched construction material costs, permiting costs, and site work. Our fundraising efforts are first concentrated on the planning phase in order to have architectural drawings that may be used to procure competitive bids during the RFP process.
We hope to be “shovel ready” by 2023.
Below is the proposed budget as of June 2022. Our budget is based on carefully researched construction material costs, permiting costs, and site work. Our fundraising efforts are first concentrated on the planning phase in order to have architectural drawings that may be used to procure competitive bids during the RFP process.
We hope to be “shovel ready” by 2023.
All Access Project - Letters of Support
From the moment we announced our plans for the All Access project, encouragement and support began to pour in.
These letters of support are a testiment to the “right project at the right time,” and are the strongest signal that our All Access project is a worthy one and one that will be successful.
The exerpts below have been pulled from letters of support we have received to date.
These letters of support are a testiment to the “right project at the right time,” and are the strongest signal that our All Access project is a worthy one and one that will be successful.
The exerpts below have been pulled from letters of support we have received to date.
“The All Access Project calls for the creation of an elevator tower that will make our City Hall and Opera House respectfully accessible for all. This project will complement and complete the work we have done to make our buildings, sidewalks, parks and city a model of accessibility and inclusion.” Matt Chabot, Mayor, City of Vergennes
“When I was Governor of Vermont, on July 1997, in the theater’s 100th year, I was pleased to be in attendance when the Vermont Symphony Orchestra took the stage to celebrate the official grand reopening of the restored historic hall. The All Access Elevator Project would provide equal, respectful and safe access to the community space on the second floor. This access will increase the number of people who will finally be able to come to a show in the space. For every dollar a person spends on a ticket to an arts or cultural event, they spend an additional three dollars in the community. This is the flywheel of the creative economy and a proven way to keep our downtowns vibrant and full of life.” Governor Howard Dean
“Indeed, there has been an enormous amount of work in the downtown area to make the city respectfully and thoughtfully accessible to all. The one area that is needing accessibility work is the community’s own City Hall and Opera House. The opera house space hosts many performances as well as performance and dance classes. On any given Saturday it is a joy to watch families go into the space with their little ones all dressed and ready for dance class. What is difficult to witness is the struggling parent who has a child by one hand while trying to negotiate the steps with the stroller and the infant in another.” Representatives Diane Lanpher and Matt Birong
“As an adjoining property owner, we have been pleased to collaborate with the Friends of Vergennes Opera House and the City to review and provide input on the conceptual design. The history of being good neighbors continues. Our hope is to improve access to our own building in the future and the site improvements planned for the All-Access project will make it possible to do so.” Chris Hale, Junior Warden, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
“Another important aspect of the “All Access” project is its dedication to making the stage and green room accessible to performers. I have observed, in my years or working as the accessibility coordinator at the Council, that the majority of stages, green rooms and bathrooms for performers in Vermont are not accessible to people with disabilities. If we truly want to make our spaces accessible to “ALL” we need to think beyond the audiences and make sure that artists, staff, volunteers, family and friends can participate at all levels of an organization’s activities. This project will create a welcoming and inclusive space for all and I hope you can support their efforts! Michele Bailey, Senior Program Manager, Accessibility Coordinator, Vermont Arts Council
“The Preservation Trust of Vermont enthusiastically supports the All Access Elevator Project. The vision and success of the FVOH can be seen not just in the restoration of a beautiful theater that hosts a variety of community events, but in the revitalization of the entire downtown. Today, Vergennes is a bustling hub with locally owned stores, a vibrant streetscape, and community pride. The opera house was a key catalyst for this transformation and serves as an example for other Vermont communities of the role the creative economy plays in downtown revitalization efforts.” Ben Doyle, President, Preservation Trust of Vermont
“Our ties with Vergennes Opera House run deep. The Partnership was formed around the time of the VOH renovation/ reignition in the late 90s. The grand stone steps leading up to the stately entrance, followed by 25 steps to the (second floor) Opera House become foreboding to many. Due to the inadequacies of the current ADA ramp access in the far back of the building, people with physical limitations or family members with strollers, etc., are unable to safely and respectfully access the second story theater space.” Jen Russell, President, Vergennes Partnership, Inc.
“The restoration of the Vergennes Opera House has been, and its continued operation is, the essential cultural core of the entire Greater Vergennes community with a population of over 20,000 citizens. Virtually all the businesses along main street are ADA accessible, including all the curbing and sidewalks. It is time that the city’s own municipal building provides this same kind of access.” Faith and Stephen Terry, Middlebury, VT
“Many of us worked long and hard to renovate the unique and historic features of the space, retaining its architecture, décor, and artwork. We are now elderly and unable to comfortably access the building. We very much look forward to seeing this final stage completed so that we may once again enter to enjoy and appreciate its historic and aesthetic beauty.” Carlotta Tippet, Former Member of Board of Directors, FVOH
“The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes supports people with disabilities and we support a number of people who have difficulty accessing the Opera House due to its steep and long staircase, and limited handicapped entries. We wholeheartedly support the All-Access Project and look forward to a fully accessible building.” Lisa Davis, Director of Operations, David Small, Board Chair, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes
“Our organization supports people with disabling conditions to improve mobility. This includes people of all ages. While The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House have worked hard to improve accessibility, it is difficult or impossible for people with limited mobility to navigate. We want to be sure that our clients and all community members can enjoy activities there.” Deborah Wesley, RN, Chief Executive Officer, Maureen Conrad, Director of Development, Addison County Home Health and Hospice
“As a provider of affordable housing for many of the area’s most vulnerable residents, we are intimately aware of the many challenges and barriers people with limited mobility face when accessing resources the typically-abled often take for granted. A welcoming and safe place involves features such as: accessible entryways, ramps and stair lifts. We wholeheartedly support the All-Access Project. A new entrance and elevator would afford everyone the dignity we all deserve and which most of us take for granted.” Elise Shanbacker, Exec. Director, Addison County Community Trust
“Having an elevator in the Vergennes Opera House would be incredible! We have many young mothers with strollers, students with special needs (I like to call them special abilities), and seniors who like to come take a tap class or watch their grandchildren in a dance recital. Recently in our South Burlington location we started an Adaptive dance class for all bodies and abilities. It has been a HUGE success. I would love to start a class like that at the Opera House, but without an elevator, that is next to impossible.” Jen Barden, President/Owner, Spotlight Vermont
“When I was Governor of Vermont, on July 1997, in the theater’s 100th year, I was pleased to be in attendance when the Vermont Symphony Orchestra took the stage to celebrate the official grand reopening of the restored historic hall. The All Access Elevator Project would provide equal, respectful and safe access to the community space on the second floor. This access will increase the number of people who will finally be able to come to a show in the space. For every dollar a person spends on a ticket to an arts or cultural event, they spend an additional three dollars in the community. This is the flywheel of the creative economy and a proven way to keep our downtowns vibrant and full of life.” Governor Howard Dean
“Indeed, there has been an enormous amount of work in the downtown area to make the city respectfully and thoughtfully accessible to all. The one area that is needing accessibility work is the community’s own City Hall and Opera House. The opera house space hosts many performances as well as performance and dance classes. On any given Saturday it is a joy to watch families go into the space with their little ones all dressed and ready for dance class. What is difficult to witness is the struggling parent who has a child by one hand while trying to negotiate the steps with the stroller and the infant in another.” Representatives Diane Lanpher and Matt Birong
“As an adjoining property owner, we have been pleased to collaborate with the Friends of Vergennes Opera House and the City to review and provide input on the conceptual design. The history of being good neighbors continues. Our hope is to improve access to our own building in the future and the site improvements planned for the All-Access project will make it possible to do so.” Chris Hale, Junior Warden, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
“Another important aspect of the “All Access” project is its dedication to making the stage and green room accessible to performers. I have observed, in my years or working as the accessibility coordinator at the Council, that the majority of stages, green rooms and bathrooms for performers in Vermont are not accessible to people with disabilities. If we truly want to make our spaces accessible to “ALL” we need to think beyond the audiences and make sure that artists, staff, volunteers, family and friends can participate at all levels of an organization’s activities. This project will create a welcoming and inclusive space for all and I hope you can support their efforts! Michele Bailey, Senior Program Manager, Accessibility Coordinator, Vermont Arts Council
“The Preservation Trust of Vermont enthusiastically supports the All Access Elevator Project. The vision and success of the FVOH can be seen not just in the restoration of a beautiful theater that hosts a variety of community events, but in the revitalization of the entire downtown. Today, Vergennes is a bustling hub with locally owned stores, a vibrant streetscape, and community pride. The opera house was a key catalyst for this transformation and serves as an example for other Vermont communities of the role the creative economy plays in downtown revitalization efforts.” Ben Doyle, President, Preservation Trust of Vermont
“Our ties with Vergennes Opera House run deep. The Partnership was formed around the time of the VOH renovation/ reignition in the late 90s. The grand stone steps leading up to the stately entrance, followed by 25 steps to the (second floor) Opera House become foreboding to many. Due to the inadequacies of the current ADA ramp access in the far back of the building, people with physical limitations or family members with strollers, etc., are unable to safely and respectfully access the second story theater space.” Jen Russell, President, Vergennes Partnership, Inc.
“The restoration of the Vergennes Opera House has been, and its continued operation is, the essential cultural core of the entire Greater Vergennes community with a population of over 20,000 citizens. Virtually all the businesses along main street are ADA accessible, including all the curbing and sidewalks. It is time that the city’s own municipal building provides this same kind of access.” Faith and Stephen Terry, Middlebury, VT
“Many of us worked long and hard to renovate the unique and historic features of the space, retaining its architecture, décor, and artwork. We are now elderly and unable to comfortably access the building. We very much look forward to seeing this final stage completed so that we may once again enter to enjoy and appreciate its historic and aesthetic beauty.” Carlotta Tippet, Former Member of Board of Directors, FVOH
“The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes supports people with disabilities and we support a number of people who have difficulty accessing the Opera House due to its steep and long staircase, and limited handicapped entries. We wholeheartedly support the All-Access Project and look forward to a fully accessible building.” Lisa Davis, Director of Operations, David Small, Board Chair, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Vergennes
“Our organization supports people with disabling conditions to improve mobility. This includes people of all ages. While The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House have worked hard to improve accessibility, it is difficult or impossible for people with limited mobility to navigate. We want to be sure that our clients and all community members can enjoy activities there.” Deborah Wesley, RN, Chief Executive Officer, Maureen Conrad, Director of Development, Addison County Home Health and Hospice
“As a provider of affordable housing for many of the area’s most vulnerable residents, we are intimately aware of the many challenges and barriers people with limited mobility face when accessing resources the typically-abled often take for granted. A welcoming and safe place involves features such as: accessible entryways, ramps and stair lifts. We wholeheartedly support the All-Access Project. A new entrance and elevator would afford everyone the dignity we all deserve and which most of us take for granted.” Elise Shanbacker, Exec. Director, Addison County Community Trust
“Having an elevator in the Vergennes Opera House would be incredible! We have many young mothers with strollers, students with special needs (I like to call them special abilities), and seniors who like to come take a tap class or watch their grandchildren in a dance recital. Recently in our South Burlington location we started an Adaptive dance class for all bodies and abilities. It has been a HUGE success. I would love to start a class like that at the Opera House, but without an elevator, that is next to impossible.” Jen Barden, President/Owner, Spotlight Vermont
Vergennes Opera House
2022-2023 Season
New Shows Added Often! Tickets at VergennesOperaHouse.org
New Shows Added Often! Tickets at VergennesOperaHouse.org
Another robust season managed 100% by volunteers, all dedicated to keeping the arts alive in the little city of Vergennes.
Vergennes Opera House
Built: 1897 | Shuttered: 1974 | Reopened: 1997 | Occupancy: 299
Built: 1897 | Shuttered: 1974 | Reopened: 1997 | Occupancy: 299
Friends of the Vergennes Opera House Board of Directors
President: Gerianne Smart, Waltham
Vice President: James Lanpher, Vergennes
Treasurer: Susan Schaefer, New Haven
Secretary: Susan Nelson, Addison
Vice President: James Lanpher, Vergennes
Treasurer: Susan Schaefer, New Haven
Secretary: Susan Nelson, Addison
Board Members:
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James Biggart, Addison
Teresa Boucher, Panton Kate Coburn, Vergennes Geoff Nelson, Addison Sue O’Daniel, Vergennes |
Allison Rimmer, Vergennes
Erin Roche, Vergennes Steve Sawyer, Vergennes Bill Walsh, Waltham Sue Walsh, Waltham |