Main Street Construction Set to Begin Soon. Will Local Businesses Survive?

The Great Streets BTV initiative has been underway for years now. A public vote in March 2015 set the project in motion and the city has produced notable results. The initiative is comprised of 3 interrelated plans, which include implementing street standards for all Downtown Burlington streets, reconstructing City Hall Park, and an overhaul of St. Paul and Main Street.

The three efforts have all made substantial progress in their designated areas. The street design and construction standards were adopted back in the spring of 2018, City Hall Park was reopened after a year of construction in the fall of 2020, and St. Paul Street features wider sidewalks and rain gardens after reopening in late 2019. The Main Street refurbishment is the last piece to the Great Streets puzzle that will soon fall into place.

Transformative Features

Burlington residents can expect extensive construction coming very soon to their beloved Main Street. At The Burlington Walk/Bike Council Meeting held on February 2nd, Public Works engineer Laura Wheelock laid out the cities plans for “unified, but not uniform” streets. The ambitious revitalization of Main Street is scheduled to begin during the fall of 2023 and will take a minimum of two years. The project will cut through 7 intersections and 6 blocks from Battery Street to Union Street.

The impacted portion of Main Street will be transformed from a car-dominated road into an area balancing the interests of cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. The diagonal parking spaces currently in place use large chunks of road. Following construction, these parking spots will be converted into parallel parking spaces. This will decrease the number of parking spots with the hope of then reducing the number of drivers downtown. In between the curb and the parking spots will be a designated bike lane that utilizes the parked cars as a buffer for the bikers.

Aside from the transportation dimensions, there are also environmental measures being implemented on the streets. Rain gardens and permeable paving will be added with the purpose of improving stormwater management. Both features will help filter stormwater on its way into Lake Champlain. Cleaner stormwater will lead to a cleaner lake. More trees will also be added to help with water and air quality.

A Call for a Mall

In recent years, things have been anything but stable for local businesses. Construction on St. Paul Street, COVID-19, and now the renovation to Main Street means even more disruptions for businesses that can’t seem to catch a break. One Burlington restaurant that knows these struggles all too well is The Gryphon.

Located on the corner of St. Paul and Main, the eatery has endured the lengthy St. Paul Street construction. Owner Tom Chadwick says the restaurant’s revenue was cut by about 15-20% during that time.

With the effects of the pandemic still lingering and the Main Street construction looming, how this project is going to impact local businesses during such a volatile time must be considered. Chadwick was all in favor of more walkable streets with less cars but raised several concerns. “I do think it’s a good idea to convert cars to pedestrians, but you’ve still got to get people to come into Downtown. They’re not going to walk from South Burlington or Shelburne to come Downtown.”

Having less parking spots for businesses that heavily rely on out-of-town consumers seems like a proposition that no business owner would be in support of. Chadwick, however, sees another city project as a potential saving grace for the local economy. “I hope and feel the Mall can be a positive for downtown businesses and help alleviate some of the housing shortage”, says Chadwick, referring to the long-stagnated plans to reinvigorate the Burlington Town Center Mall, which is now officially closed as of February 16th of this year.

The plan to create a successful mall in Downtown has been plagued by financial and legal issues for years, but recent developments provide some hope for business owners like Chadwick who would benefit from a thriving mall. A recent article by Jack Lyons of the VTDigger reports that construction of the mall could begin as soon as late April. This shred of hope for businesses is still overshadowed by the massive disturbances they have had to withstand. “The Gryphon hasn’t had a normal year since 2017. The assistance programs during the pandemic were very helpful and we are grateful, but how many abnormal years must we endure?”

Financing

The total cost of the Main Street project is around $30 million. The funding will come through tax increment financing (TIF) bonds. Thankfully for Burlington residents, this will not increase taxes. TIF is used to allow the city to invest in its infrastructure upfront and pay back the bonds using the increased tax revenue generated by the growth of the newly developed area over time. A vote on March 1st for Town Meeting Day will determine if the city can borrow an additional $26 million as a TIF bond to fund the Main Street construction.

Whether or not this reconstruction of the major road will help or harm businesses, only time will tell. In the meantime, we cannot ignore the impact COVID-19 has had on the local economy. Hopefully Vermonters continue to support the small, local businesses during these turbulent times.