Rose Spillman, WCAX TV
BURLINGTON, Vt. –
The Burlington Town Center redevelopment plans have been in the works for more than a year. One building on Cherry Street has been proposed to tower at 14-stories high, well over the city’s current height limit.
“The public has told us, and I believe the City Council is listening, that if there’s any site in downtown Burlington where we should go higher, it should be this site,” said Don Sinex of the Burlington Town Center.
With the added height, Sinix says it would allow for more than 200 apartments and thousands of square feet for retail and office space. Lenix says the space would allow for people to live and work within the downtown.
Burlington natives say they are concerned about these big plans.
“I think it’s taking away from the, a lot of the natural beauty of Burlington. You know, just taking away from the landscape and the views, and I feel like a lot of people that probably have… what are buildings already here… when they look out their windows, it’s gonna be blocking their views, I feel,” said Robert Edward Sheridan V of Burlington.
Lenix says the project has incorporated the public’s input into the current plan as much as possible and he hopes the finished product will ultimately benefit everyone.
“Can’t please everybody, and you can’t do things that make zero money because the project has to pay for itself, but we’re trying to come up with an effective plan that satisfies and serves the community,” Sinex said.
Mayor Miro Weinberger, D-Burlington, says the suggested height of the building could be a challenge, as it would require some changes in city zoning. He says that for now, none of the plans are set in stone.
“I think that’s gonna take some time. I think we have some months ahead of us working out those details, but I think the exciting point is we are ready for that, we have the team in place to engage that, and I think we’ll be moving quickly in the months ahead,” Weinberger said.
Lenix says the mall plans to invest over $200 million in the project that he hopes would begin a two-year construction process as early as January 2016.
Members of the public still have a chance to voice their opinions and check out the plans online — www.burlingtonvt.gov/btvmall