(Photo: Courtesy Burlington Town Center/PKSB)
Burlington Free Press – 8.21.2016
I am a native Vermonter and a young professional who lives and works in Burlington. I have followed the discussion surrounding the development of the mall – at first with great excitement, but recently with great concern as opposition has mounted and delays have cropped up.
Being able to afford to live in Burlington as a young person is challenging. Rent is expensive, good-paying, career-oriented jobs are hard to come by, and the cost of living is going up. When I read that Don Sinex had bought the mall with intentions to redevelop it, I thought, finally, someone is going to breathe new life into the downtown and make progress to alleviate the growing demand for housing. And as I learned more about the plan as a whole, I became excited about the prospect of growth for Burlington.
Developing the mall will create new retail space, housing and office space in the downtown district, and it will propel further economic development.
Furthermore, as outlined in PlanBTV, properties in the downtown improvement district pay $147,813 per acre in taxes while the rest of the city pays $13,148 per acre. These investments will attract new residents to the city and create greater opportunities for the people of Burlington. The project will help create jobs, boost the regional economy and bring in new revenue the city would otherwise forgo if it blocks this proposal.
So I was disheartened to read a number of articles in our local media about the mounting opposition to the project. Thinking that perhaps I had missed something dastardly in the planning, I did some research on the points of concern and was surprised that the main argument against the development is that the building would ruin the unique, livable quality of Burlington. I would argue that adding economic vibrancy, more housing and jobs would make the city more livable.
Truly, what makes this city the place we know and love is not the buildings, but the people who choose to live here. I find it very hard to believe that Burlington’s independent and quirky qualities will be lost if a few more stories are added to the mall. Whether 14 stories or eight stories, I would argue that any stories are better than none at all. It would be incredibly disappointing if this entire project were to fall through because we are not forward thinking enough to realize this is an amazing chance for Burlington to grow.
Another argument I encountered was that the project was being rushed forward. However, this is hardly a haphazard project for either the city or the state. The Vermont Futures Project and the three year economic marketing plan prepared by Development Counselors International and Spike Advertising for the state – as well as Burlington’s PlanBTV (started in 2009) use of form based codes for new buildings – clearly illustrate that development here is being done in a thoughtful, responsible manner with an emphasis on creating livable communities. We are lucky to have a developer who is willing to put in the time, money and effort to make this work for the city, and it is frustrating that some residents are opposed to this progress.
For one generation to say what is best for a subsequent generation is very shortsighted.
To stop this project is to accept the status quo of escalating rents, cost of living and dearth of economic opportunity for future generations. This project is part of the solution and we need to embrace these changes in order to succeed.
While I know this is not a decision to be made lightly, and appreciate your time and consideration on arguments for and against this project, I implore you to think about the good this development could bring to our city, our state, and future Burlingtonians. Please do not let a few dark shadows stand in the way of letting the Queen City flourish.
Tori Carton lives in Burlington.