In 2017, as an outgrowth of a town-wide visioning project led by the Vermont Council on Rural Development in 2016, the town of Vernon received an official Vermont Village Center Designation for the area consisting of the Town Office Building, the Elementary School, the area between those building along Route 142 and Gov. Hunt Road and adjoining residential properties.

The town Planning & Economic Development Commission and the Friends of Vernon Center then launched a master planning process, with the assistance of planning consultants from SE Group of Burlington.

The goal of this process was to design a “21st century New England village,” along with an action plan for the next stage, which would be to attract developers who can bring new businesses, homes and vitality to the village.