Updated on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
Higher Ground is considering a move to Pine Street in Burlington.
Currently located on Williston Road in South Burlington, the concert company reached out to Queen City officials after a deal to relocate to Burton Snowboards’ South End campus fell through last summer.
The company hasn’t identified a location, but one possibility could be sharing a space with Burlington City Arts at 405 Pine Street, planning director Charles Dillard said. The city department only occupies a small part of the 33,000-square-foot building.
The move would require a zoning change. On Monday, the Burlington City Council took the first step toward making that happen by unanimously voting to send the change to its Ordinance Committee for review. The full council would need to vote again before the change could go into effect.
Dillard said the venue would complement Pine Street’s vibrant arts scene.
“The city is serious about its interest in retaining Higher Ground, just from a cultural and economic development perspective,” he said.
Higher Ground co-owners Alan Newman and Alex Crothers did not respond to an interview request.
Higher Ground has been eyeing a move since 2019, when it announced plans to open an “entertainment hub” at Burton’s headquarters on Queen City Park Road. City officials changed zoning rules to accommodate the project, but neighbors concerned about noise and traffic brought the matter to court.
The Vermont Supreme Court ruled in Higher Ground’s favor last July, but days after the decision, the concert company announced Burton had backed out of their deal.
Higher Ground then contacted BCA about moving to Pine Street. Performing arts centers there are limited to 5,000 square feet, though Higher Ground would require a much larger building. City staff have recommended a zoning change that would nix the square footage limits altogether, but only for buildings with frontage on Pine Street. The Burlington Planning Commission unanimously endorsed the proposal last month.
Should the plans move forward, it wouldn’t be the first time Higher Ground would host live music on Pine Street. In summer 2021, the company and BCA launched Backside 405, a weekly event series in the BCA Studios parking lot. The series, which included acts such as Zach Nugent and Rough Francis, ended in 2023.
On Monday, councilors generally supported the idea but worried the venue could bring extra traffic to the already-congested King-Maple neighborhood. Traffic is expected to worsen there with the completion of the Champlain Parkway, which will connect the South End with downtown via Pine Street.
They also raised questions about parking.
Dillard said most events would be in the evening, not peak commuting hours, and that Burlingtonians who now drive to shows may walk or bike to a venue on Pine Street. To deal with parking overflow, Dillard said the city would encourage businesses that only use their lots during the day to let concert-goers park there at night.
Councilor Melo Grant (P-Central District) said she’s optimistic the city could find ways to make the project work.
“If we can get them into here, we could really be looking at such a tremendous economic boost that would reverberate throughout the city,” she said.
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