VT Digger, April 2026
Big questions are hanging in the air since whiskey tycoon Raj Peter Bhakta put the former Green Mountain College up for donation with the requirement that the recipient have a particular mission. Green Mountain College shuttered in 2019 after declining student enrollment, leaving Vermonters wondering what would come of the Rutland County campus anchoring Poultney’s downtown. The college’s closure came as a blow to the town, but Poultney has since turned its focus to revitalization efforts, including hopes to make the town a hub for mountain biking and outdoor recreation.
Bhakta, known for founding the Vermont-based company Whistlepig, bought the 155-acre college campus for $4.8 million in 2020, with original plans to set up a sustainable agriculture initiative. Bhakta’s goal with the campus eventually morphed into a vision for a resort with some residential development. After six years of holdups, Bhakta is leaving those plans behind.
