The Downtowner

BBA’s 4th Annual Business Summit

Burlington 2031:City or Suburb?

The theme of BBA’s 4th Annual  Business Summit on January 5, 2006, is Burlington's future -- What will it look like in 25 years? Is it moving away from its traditional role as Vermont's urban center, or will it continue to be the cultural, social, political, educational and economic center of northwestern Vermont?

  The Church Street Marketplace will be 25 years old in 2006.  It has been extremely successful as the focal point for attracting people downtown over the last 25 years.  The Waterfront has been transformed during that time, becoming an increasingly important destination for visitors and center of activity for residents. 

  But the public is fickle.  Surrounding communities are creating and reinventing their downtowns for the 21st century.  The rate of their population and business growth is outpacing that of the Queen City. What will Burlington do to keep up? What will keep it healthy over the next 25 years -- for businesses, visitors and residents? 

  The city is rewriting the zoning ordinance and there is tension between two goals: on the one hand, the need for commercial and

This aerial view shows portions of downtown Burlington surrounding Main Street -- the primary east - west corridor linking Interstate 89, UVM, the Church Street Marketplace and the Waterfront.

residential growth to maintain our economic vitality and tax base, and on the other hand, the desire of many residents to preserve their low density neighborhoods, small city livability and desire to 'keep things just the way they are.'

  There are millions of dollars earmarked for Burlington in the federal transportation bill (see page 4 for details) that could help fulfill a vision for a renewed downtown, setting the economic

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Happy Holidays!