By STEVEN JUPITER
The Downtown Brandon Alliance (DBA) unveiled ‘Bankers Alley’ on Saturday, capping a months-long campaign to add a little fun and color to what had been a rather dreary cut-through between Park Street and the parking lot behind Café Provence. The project, called “Park 2 Park,” is meant to provide a more pleasant way for people to walk from Central Park on Park Street to Kennedy Park overlooking the upper falls on the Neshobe River.
The alley takes its name from the banks that flank it: Bar Harbor on the left and the National Bank of Middlebury on the right (looking from Park Street).
The alley now boasts new pavement, three colorful murals, and a wrought-iron archway at each end. The arches are held in place by weighted wooden planters.
The murals were painted by Matt Aucoin, John Brodowski, Fran Bull, and Virginia Creighton. The arches were fabricated by Nops Metalworks and the planters by Steve Lohrenz.
DBA President Devon Fuller addressed the crowd, thanking the artists, Nops, and Mr. Lohrenz. He thanked DBA’s Board of Directors, particularly architect Robert Black for his renderings of the project; DBA Coordinator Fiona Slattery; Heather & John Bierschenk, who own the Bank of Middlebury building on which the art was installed; G.W. Paving for the asphalt work; Brandon’s Highway Department for prep work; Vermont Specialty Coatings for sealing the asphalt; Ralph French for the brick work; and Brandon’s town management team, Seth Hopkins and Bill Moore, for all their help in shepherding the project through.
Mr. Fuller also thanked all the donors who contributed to Brandon’s share of the project, half of which was funded by a Better Places grant from the state. The local response to the proposed project was so great that DBA ended up raising $3,000 more than the project cost. The extra money will be used to continue improving the alley.
“I cannot express how grateful and proud I am to be part of such a wonderful place to live,” said Fuller.
If you haven’t yet visited the alley, make your way down there and appreciate the vision that makes Brandon such a special place.
