Drive down Dorset Street in South Burlington, and you'll enter a real-life version of a city planner's nightmare. Strip malls line one side of a busy divided four-lane road. On the other side, department stores and sprawling parking lots dominate the streetscape.
It's a far cry from the charming downtowns most people associate with Vermont. But now, just off this anywhere-in-America commercial strip, South Burlington is building what it hopes will be a thriving community of homes, public buildings and retail stores.
Planning began in the 2010s for South Burlington City Center, a neighborhood of high-density residential buildings east of Dorset Street and within walking distance of a relocated city hall and public library. Plans are in the works for parks, a senior center and a bike path that will lead straight into Burlington — no car required.
To date, 232 residential units have been built in the development area; 551 more are under construction — a building boom that has helped make South Burlington the largest supplier of new residences in an area with a critical shortage of housing. Of the 743 homes built in the county last year, nearly 40 percent of them were in South Burlington, in the new downtown or elsewhere in the city, according to the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (see "Last Quarter"). Paul Conner, the city's director of planning and zoning, predicts even more housing development in the area over the next decade.
Barely visible from South Burlington's main drag, the new "downtown" zone covers 103 acres of previously empty land sandwiched between Dorset Street and Hinesburg Road. The area is close to large employers, including the Vermont National Guard, the University of Vermont and the UVM Medical Center. Residents can walk to Trader Joe's and other grocery stores, as well as to Target and other department stores at the University Mall. By the end of 2025, about 2,000 people are expected to live in the new district.
"Initially there was a dirt road, and now there's a city center," said Ilona Blanchard, the city's community development director. "We're really building a community around a downtown."
For decades, South Burlington lacked a definable center, its civic buildings scattered along Dorset Street and almost inaccessible by foot. In fact, a 2015 survey of South Burlington residents found that more than 55 percent believed the city, which is sliced and diced by Interstate 89 and Williston and Shelburne roads, had no discernible identity.
In the 2010s, the city set out to change that image, building on discussions that date back to the 1970s. Planners started mapping a compact, walkable city center. They envisioned a downtown nucleus with private residential and commercial developments radiating outward.
The city council adopted a plan for this new zone in 2012, funded by tax increment financing that allows municipalities to invest in infrastructure such as roads and sidewalks by borrowing against the future revenue that the new development will generate. So far, city voters have approved $29 million in bonds to pay for up-front investments, including the rebuilding of Market Street, the new neighborhood's main drag.
"It allowed us to in some ways control what the city center looks and feels like," said Helen Riehle, former chair of the South Burlington City Council. "It helped us form a more cohesive vision."
While city hall and the library sit at the heart of the new neighborhood, the bulk of the new construction will be housing — much of which will be affordable. "We wanted to show that this was a place that was going to be for everybody," said Jessie Baker, South Burlington's city manager.
The city has partnered with nonprofit developers Champlain Housing Trust and Cathedral Square to build affordable housing units on Market Street, a number of which are specifically for seniors. A senior center will soon open nearby.
"There's simply way more development and housing opportunities in South Burlington than in other parts of the state," said Sarah Harrington, a real estate agent who specializes in selling single-family homes and condominiums in the greater Burlington area.
South Burlington stands out as one of the few places left in the state to purchase and rent affordable homes and apartments, she said. The newer downtown apartments are mostly rental units, with a handful of ownable units in the mix. With a new city center, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and well-respected school district, South Burlington is attracting more families interested in putting down roots, Harrington said.
"It's not just big, open parking lots at the end of the day," she said. "They're creating a place where people can walk to restaurants, people can go to the library, where [they] are living."
Worthern Estabrook, 63, lives in Allard Square, the first major residential development in the city center, built by Cathedral Square, which specializes in senior housing. One of the best parts of living there is being able to walk places, Estabrook said.
"For a guy like me who doesn't drive, everything is accessible," Estabrook said. "I can get everything I need right across the street."
In 2025, work is scheduled to begin on a bike and pedestrian bridge over I-89 to connect Burlington and South Burlington, funded by a $9.7 million federal grant.
And in 2022, South Burlington voters approved a $4 million bond to finance the construction of Garden Street, a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly corridor that will cross Market Street to connect Dorset Street and Williston Road.
Some residents, finding themselves surrounded by construction, have voiced opposition to the incursion of development, citing environmental and aesthetic concerns. City manager Baker said it's been challenging to communicate why there's been so much change at such a rapid pace. "We've done a lot of work on managing expectations," she said.
Expect more change, because it's in the pipeline. The city is planning for the construction of approximately two additional buildings per year from 2027 to 2036 in the Market Street area. Combined with what's already been built, the area should eventually accommodate roughly 3,000 additional residents. The real estate firm Snyder-Braverman is constructing about two-thirds of the housing, which will mostly be rented at market rate.
In partnership with Snyder-Braverman, the University of Vermont is constructing 295 apartments off Market Street to meet the growing housing needs of UVM graduate students, faculty and staff.
Richard Cate, UVM's vice president for finance and administration, said employees and graduate students cite a lack of affordable housing as a major barrier to working and studying at UVM.
For now, though, it's the small victories that are exciting city staff. Conner, the director of planning and zoning, recalled spotting a group of children drawing with chalk on a sidewalk in front of newly constructed town homes near the city center.
"Seeing that sidewalk chalk means community," Conner said. "It means people are living there, that it's home for them. Ultimately, that's what it's all about."