Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Ahead of the 10-2 vote, dozens of people who oppose the park renovation turned out to try to convince councilors to vote down the $5.8 million in financing. The opponents, part of a group called Keep the Park Green, say the renovation will result in the removal of healthy trees and is too expensive.
The renovation will, in fact, cost more than previously expected. The lowest bid came in at $4.9 million, significantly higher than the initial estimate of $4 million. Mayor Miro Weinberger attributed the higher price tag to increased cost for soil remediation and the plan to protect existing trees during construction. He also blamed the opposition group and delays in the process for causing the cost to spike.
Tags: City Hall Park , Miro Weinberger , Burlington , City Council , mayor , Keep the Park Green , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
On Tuesday night, the Burlington City Council gave its blessing to a plan to redesign the Moran building, the most significant progress toward remodeling the old coal-fired power plant since it was decommissioned in 1986.
The unanimous vote gave Mayor Miro Weinberger's administration permission to move forward with the project and to borrow the cash to fund it. The plan, which the city's Community Economic Development Office presented in December, proposes filling in the basement of the old structure and removing the brick exterior.
It would leave in place a steel skeleton. The open-air space would include public restrooms and space for vendors and concerts. Additional walkways, public art, a performance venue, a viewing deck or outdoor areas could also be added to the project in the future, pending additional funding.
Tags: Burlington City Council , Miro Weinberger , mayor , Moran plant , Image , Web Only
Thursday, February 14, 2019
The new five-level garage would cost $9.7 million and accommodate roughly 300 vehicles. It would be built on what is now a dirt parking area along Abenaki Way, adjacent to the Community College of Vermont building. The city-owned lot is just seven-tenths of an acre.
The city is also proposing a land swap that would allow developer Adam Dubroff to build a roughly 90-room hotel on the lower part of the same lot. He had previously proposed building a boutique hotel on a 0.18-acre parcel two blocks away, wedged between the historic Champlain Mill and the Main Street bridge that spans the Winooski River.
That proposal hit a buzzsaw of opposition from neighbors, though. Some feared it would crowd the historic mill and block downtown views of the Winooski River falls while taking over what is now a sliver of green space.
Tags: Winooski , parking garage , Town Meeting Day , Adam Dubroff , Jessie Baker , Town Meeting Day , Image , Web Only
Monday, February 4, 2019
Larry Dupont and Glenn Cotton have withdrawn their application for the runway at 89 Macomb Bay Lane, according to a brief letter the pilots’ attorney sent to the Vermont Transportation Board on Friday.
The plan for a private, 2,000-foot-long grass airstrip rattled the neighborhood along Lake Champlain. At an October 31 public hearing held by the Transportation Board, dozens of residents voiced their opposition to the proposal.
About a week later, the board filed a "recess memo" ordering Cotton and Dupont to refile their request with "the appropriate municipal panel" and gave them until February 7 to do so.
Friday’s letter appears to have put an end to the proposal. Scott Richardson, a neighbor who’d spoken against the plan, hadn’t heard about the decision before a reporter reached him Monday.
His response to the news? "Awesome!"
Neither Cotton nor Dupont immediately returned calls for comment.
Tags: North Hero , airstrip , plane , Larry Dupont , Glenn Cotton , pilot , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
That was the message from a representative of real estate firm Brookfield Asset Management who sat before the Burlington City Council Tuesday to allay concerns about the stalled 14-story project.
"We want to assure the community that the plans for CityPlace Burlington are moving forward," the company's vice president of development Chase Martin told the council. "Right now, all focus is getting this project up and running." Construction is expected to begin this spring, he added.
Tags: Don Sinex , Brookfield Asset Management , CItyPlace Burlington , Miro Weinberger , Chase Martin , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Its last day of business is scheduled for May 12, which is also the conclusion of the 55th Annual Champlain International Championship Tournament.
Co-owner Randy Longe told Seven Days that the family has never owned the building that houses the business, and that their choice to close it was made in close consultation with the landlord, Trey Pecor.
Tags: Champlain Lanes , bowling , bowling alley , Randy Longe , Trey Pecor , Image , Web Only
Monday, December 17, 2018
Seth Leonard will step down from the post January 28 and pass the baton temporarily to city councilor and deputy mayor Nicole Mace. She'll serve until a new mayor is elected on Town Meeting Day in March. Leonard's term would have lasted until March 2021.
Leonard said he is leaving early because he has accepted a new job as managing director of community development at the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, effective January 8. The statewide organization's work could present a conflict of interest with various mayoral decisions, Leonard said, including those pertaining to affordable housing .
"Even the concern of a conflict, I think it is important that we remove that,” Leonard told Seven Days Monday.
Tags: Winooski , mayor , Seth Leonard , Nicole Mace , parking , Town Meeting Day , Image , Web Only
Monday, December 10, 2018
Burlington officials are once again considering a plan to redevelop the old coal-fired power plant, which has sat vacant on the Lake Champlain waterfront for more than 30 years and seemed destined to be demolished.
This time, the city is proposing a partial redevelopment — not a full renovation, said Neale Lunderville, interim director of the city's Community and Economic Development Office. And unlike previous, divisive proposals, the idea was met with unbridled enthusiasm by city councilors at a meeting Monday night.
Under the plan, the basement of the old structure would be filled in and most of the brick exterior would be removed. The remaining structural steel skeleton and roof would create an open-air space for concerts or events, a skating rink or public park. It would be built and run by the city and would cost between $5.2 and $5.5 million.
Tags: Moran Plant , Miro Weinberger , Neale Lunderville , Sharon Bushor , Dave Hartnett , waterfront , Image , Web Only
The five-story building would be constructed between the road and an existing 176-room Holiday Inn, which would be renovated as part of the project. Both properties, located near Dorset Street and an Interstate 89 entrance, would be accessed by a new section of city street.
The new hotel would have awnings, an outdoor terrace with public seating and a rooftop overlook, according to the proposal submitted to the South Burlington Development Review Board by the developer, Burlington-based Larkin Hospitality.
Tags: South Burlington , construction , development , hotels , Image , Web Only
Monday, October 29, 2018
The long-discussed project would help anchor the suburb's hoped-for downtown, known as City Center. The building would be constructed at 180 Market Street, a short walk from the Blue Mall on Dorset Street, and across from Rick Marcotte Central School.
Approval could build momentum to create a pedestrian-oriented downtown in the suburban community. So far, the envisioned $300 million mix of housing, retail and office space has stayed mostly on the drawing board.
The community building renderings depict a three-story structure with an auditorium, meeting rooms, library, activity rooms for seniors, and office space for planning, zoning and the city clerk.
The new structure would replace the cramped municipal building at 575 Dorset Street and provide South Burlington's public library a permanent home. City officials moved the library temporarily to the University Mall last year after it outgrew its shared space with the South Burlington High School library.
If voters approve, construction of the community building would begin next spring, with completion expected in 2020. Much of the project would be financed with revenue from a city property tax that funnels money to a City Center reserve fund.
Other funds would come from tax increment financing. A portion of tax revenue from new housing, office and retail development at City Center would be used to pay off the structure. Voters have already authorized such funding for the reconstruction of Market Street and for park improvements in the downtown area.
Property taxes would not be affected, according to city handouts about the project. City forecasts assume private development will generate new tax revenue. If the actual tax revenue is lower than forecast, though, the city and its taxpayers would still be on the hook.
The city would allow the South Burlington School District to lease the existing municipal building at 575 Dorset Street and buy it after three years for a nominal fee.
Four articles on the ballot are related to the new City Hall project financing and related property easements.
Tags: South Burlington , City Center , election , library , Blue Mall , University Mall , Election 2018 , Image , Web Only