The proposal to rebuild the Burlington Town Center cleared its final major hurdle Monday when the city’s Development Review Board granted approval to Don Sinex’s multi-use project.
The board voted unanimously, with one recusal, to grant the zoning permit as Sinex’s development team and onlookers lined the walls of a cramped meeting room in Burlington City Hall.
The DRB decision came after three lengthy public hearings and two deliberative hearings on the design minutia of the project, involving building materials, construction schedules, awnings and even the varieties of trees to be planted.
Sinex said the final product represents a series of revisions and improvements. “We’ve gone through a long, exhaustive, collaborative process,” he told reporters after the meeting.
The project still needs a limited number of additional permits, including electrical and plumbing permits from the city Department of Public Works. The zoning permit, however, marks a “big step toward breaking ground,” said Scott Gustin, Burlington’s principal planner for development review.
Sinex hopes to begin construction as early as mid-June. The $250 million redevelopment will include 272 new apartments, office and retail space, and will restore two previously closed blocks of Pine and St. Paul streets. If all goes as planned, the project will be completed by the fall of 2019.
The DRB vote marked the final step in a three-part review process for the development. It already got approval from the Conservation Board and the Design Advisory Board. In November, Burlington residents approved two mall-related ballot measures.
Still, it’s not yet smooth sailing for Sinex. Just weeks after the election, the mall opposition group Coalition for a Livable City filed a suit against the city seeking to revoke the November results. They claim the ballot measure that granted $21.8 million in tax increment financing for Sinex was inaccurately presented to voters. The administration of Mayor Miro Weinberger and Sinex filed a response, seeking a dismissal of the suit.
On Monday, Sinex said the pending litigation would not delay construction —though, he added, “We’ll take it as it comes.”
Members of the DRB voiced some concerns about the impact of construction on local business in their deliberations last week.
Regardless of the board’s final ruling, said board member Ali Zipparo, some restaurants and businesses will suffer from the increased noise and truck traffic. “There’s no hand we can apply heavy enough to make this mess go away,” she said.
But other DRB members praised the project. “Our discussion is on nitpicky little things,” said board chair Austin Hart. “I think that’s the result of the work that was done before it got to us,” he added, pointing out the multiple revisions by Sinex’s architecture and design team.
It was a lengthy process, acknowledged Gustin, noting that it was “a little unusual in that it took three hearings.” But then again, he added, “It was a really big project.”
Related Stories
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
YAY! Let’s make Burlington the city it was meant to be! Development means long ter jobs for many people in Burlington, as well as bringing in much more revenue to the city.
Awesome! Let’s revitalize the Town Center before it becomes a dead mall, increase the rental housing stock, and breathe new life into our downtown!!
The city needs more student housing and retail jobs. Nice vision.
The scale of the project is completely out of character for Burlington. The hard-sell approach that Miro “Wonder Boy” Weinberger, Don Sinex and their cohorts have taken is arrogant, myopic and supports the idea that his and their interests are not with the people of Burlington, but are part of a mentality that would develop first and think about the ramifications of their grandiosity and greed later, if ever.
Downtown could use a face lift but I’m not sure why the $$mayor$$ would work so hard to push this $$project$$ through and why so many $$exceptions$$ had to be created and most importantly, why this $$project$$ doesn’t actually address the needs of the city.
At least the building isn’t as disgustingly ugly as was first proposed. It’s merely moderately, unimaginatively ugly. If the City is truly giving Sinex incentivizing tax credits, why not find some money, cut some deal, so that the small businesses affected by the construction will get a stipend for the losses they will incur through no fault of their own. I know these businesses must be paying a premium for the Church Street address. SMALL, LOCAL businesses only – not the chain stores that can spread the loss through their megacorporations.
A course it was approved was there ever any doubt, whinnyberger always get his way..wonder how much greased his palm?? Bet there’s a lot who’s packet is fuller now..Burlington is looking more like NYC, only the rich will live there and be able to shop there..Don’t you just love the LIBERALS!!!! NOT..
More klike lets make the city for the out-of-towners who can afford those apartments
I respect opposing views – but this article’s illustration is entirely unrealistic. Please stand at the corner pictured (Cherry and St. Paul) and tell me this vision is possible.