PROCTOR – The Vermont Marble Museum is looking for a few good tenants to fill space in the building that houses the museum – rent free.

Building owners Marsha and Martin Hemm are putting the word out that they’re looking for industrial, retail, studio and office tenants to occupy the remaining space in the factory building with up to eight months of free rent.

The Hemms signed a deal at the end of last year to sell most of the museum collection to the Preservation Trust of Vermont for $250,000. The Trust also has a one-year option to buy the building from the Hemms for $480,000. Of that amount, the Trust has raised $125,000 toward the purchase. including a $100,000 donation from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.

“It will ease in the long term operation (of the museum) to have additional tenants in the building for sure,” Paul Bruhn, executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, said Monday. “And I think it will make a difference to donors or potential donors to know that the building will be self-sufficient long term.”

There are six existing tenants in the building, including small manufacturers, retail, studio/workshop, office and storage, Marsha Hemm said in an email.

That leaves 16,735 square feet available to lease: 3,000 square feet of finished, air conditioned office space, with conference and lunch room; a 4,835- square-foot, three-bay garage and workshop with mechanics pit, office and bathroom; 800 square feet of retail space; a 600-square-foot studio; and 7,500 square feet of light production space.

For the complete story, see Tuesday's Rutland Herald.