Zach Despart, Free Press Staff Writer, Burlington Free Press
Burlington city councilors gave preliminary approval Monday night to a substantial redevelopment of the Burlington Town Center mall.
By a 10-1 vote, councilors OK’d a pre-development agreement for the roughly $200 million project, which includes apartments, office space and retail — and the tallest building in Vermont.
“This pre-development agreement is a first step,” said Karen Paul, D-Ward 6. “I am confident we can work together … and build a project that will benefit this community for many years.”
The vote marks a milestone in the project after 18 months of public debate and represents a milestone that mall owner Don Sinex said was essential to keeping the ambitious redevelopment viable.
Council debate
Max Tracy, P-Ward 2, was the lone dissenter. Chip Mason, D-Ward 5, recused himself because his law firm represents Sinex in an unrelated matter.
Major components of the redevelopment include more than 300,000 feet of office space, 270 condos and apartments, a 925-space parking garage and 250,000 square feet for retail. The project also would reconnect St. Paul and Pine streets, which were severed when the original mall was built in the late 1970s.
Several city bodies, including the City Council and Development Review Board, must give final approval to the project before crews can begin work. Sinex hopes to break ground in early 2017.
Councilor Tom Ayres, D-Ward 7, noted that councilors could change parts of the project in the future. He and other councilors said they will continue to seek input from residents.
“There will be plenty of time over the coming months … to address many of the concerns you have addressed,” Ayres told residents in the gallery at Monday’s meeting.
Councilors Joan Shannon, D-South District, and Kurt Wright, R-Ward 4, thanked Sinex for compromising with the council on a number of issues and listening to extensive public comments.
Since announcing the proposed agreement April 21, Mayor Miro Weinberger, Sinex and city business leaders lobbied councilors heavily.
Councilor Tracy made a motion to postpone voting on the agreement until May 16. Tracy noted the mayor had proposed the agreement just 12 days earlier, and the councilman suggested applying more scrutiny to the project before voting.
“We need to take our time and take at least a few weeks to do our due diligence,” Tracy said.
Councilors rejected Tracy’s motion, 7-4, and minutes later approved the deal.
At two council meetings last week — one a special session to discuss the mall — councilors queried Sinex, Weinberger and city planners about the merits of the project.
Some councilors said they were dubious of a tentative deal between the developers and Champlain College to permit the school to purchase about a third of the 270 apartments for student housing. Others said they’d like to see Sinex prepare a long-term economic feasibility study before giving final approval.
Public gives support
For the second consecutive Monday evening, dozens of city residents spoke about the development plans. Most urged councilors to support the project.
Son Le and Jennie Yee, mall tenants who own Jennie Nail and Spa, said their business would grow faster in a new mall.
“The mall is awful. Tenants are suffering a lot,” Le said. “We want to stay in the mall, but we need the city to approve Don’s new renovations.”
John Killacky, executive director of the Flynn Center for the Arts, said the proposal’s housing component would help alleviate the city’s chronically high rents and low vacancy.
“I have a hard time hiring young people because the rental market is so restricted here,” Killacky said.
Burlington Business Association head Kelly Devine raced to read a list of downtown businesses that support the project before the two-minute speaking limit elapsed.
Several residents voiced disapproval for the project.
South End artist Genese Grill was among residents who brought carboard cutouts to show the council how the 14-story towers would loom over Burlington. Grill said councilors would set a dangerous precedent by amending the city’s building height restrictions to permit the development.
“Other locations will want to go high, and developers will knock down historical, unique buildings,” Grill warned.
Several speakers asked councilors to vet the project further before holding a vote.