Developer Don Sinex and an opposition group of city residents reached a settlement agreement Wednesday that will allow redevelopment of the Burlington Town Center to proceed.
The agreement requires Sinex to include an additional 200 spaces of parking in the basement of the development, which includes buildings of up to 14 stories. Sinex also agreed, in phase one of the project, to not sign a master lease to provide housing for Champlain College or other university students, according to a joint press release issued by both parties.
It also stipulates that any future development of Sinex-owned property at the Burlington Town Center site would not reach more than 10 stories.
The two parties hammered out the compromise, with former mayor Peter Clavelle mediating, during half a dozen meetings in May and June, according to attorney John Franco, who represented the opposition group. The settlement, which takes care of all outstanding legal claims by the residents, must first be approved in environmental court.
Under the agreement, Sinex will also establish a $500,000 charitable fund, managed by the Vermont Community Foundation, “to fund projects that preserve and promote Burlington’s essential character,” according to the release.
“I think this settlement is the right balance for all of us — the parties, the project and the city as a whole. I am eager to get this approved by the court and to start this transformative project,” Sinex said.
The agreement means construction will likely soon begin for a project first proposed nearly three years ago.
After voters approved two mall-related ballot measures in November, a group of residents, represented by Franco, filed a series of legal challenges against Sinex and the project. Among the named plaintiffs were city residents Barbara McGrew, Michael Long, Lynn Martin and Steve Goodkind.
Sinex had hoped to begin construction this week.
Besides the additional parking, the project design will not be altered. The 10-story height limit would apply only to future construction — which is not yet planned, Franco said.
Mayor Miro Weinberger praised the compromise agreement, noting that the city had supported the project through previous legal challenges.
The agreement “appears to be a great step forward for Burlington, removing the last major hurdle in this public-private redevelopment effort that will address so many of the City’s critical challenges by creating new jobs, new housing, and new municipal revenues,” Weinberger said in a statement.
The east side of the mall, which faces Church Street, will stay open during the first construction phase.
Related Stories
Can Max Tracy Ride the City’s Progressive Wave to Become Burlington’s Next Mayor?
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
…this public-private redevelopment effort that will address so many of the Citys critical challenges by creating new jobs, new housing…
I still fail to see what jobs this project creates. Housing, yes, but is it the right kind of housing?
Every kind of housing is the right kind when you have a long term shortage, when you haven’t built new housing in the city in years, when you have a chronic 1% vacancy rating, and when you have slumlords laughing as they collect $3,000/month for leaking hovels. Every new unit helps the crisis of availability.
I agree that housing is much needed in Burlington for all of the reasons you list. I just don’t think high end condos and student housing with some regular housing mixed in is even a drop in the bucket to what is needed.
Furthermore, I still neglect to see how this project creates jobs. Vermont has one of the lowest percentages of college graduates that stay in state after graduating. The janitor, parking lot attendant, and retail jobs this project creates does nothing to change that.
Note: I understand Sinex will not sign a master lease to provide housing for Champlain College or other university students during phase 1 of the project but it seems the during phase 1 stipulation will ultimately allow him to turn his development into student housing.
Thank you John Franco and the city residents who challenged this project and were able to get some concessions for the citizens of Burlington. More parking (there wasn’t going to be any public parking) and no student housing is certainly a good thing. Miro’s comments (spin) continue to show who he aligns with, the wealthy developers and giving away of city assets. BTC will be his and the City Council’s legacy for good or bad.
With this settlement, the loyal opposition can save face and claim victory for concessions that are more decorative than substantive. Plus Don Sinex has agreed to pay their legal fees (what’s not to like?)! Most importantly, this charade is finally over and the Project can finally move into construction.
Sinex also agreed, in phase one of the project, to not sign a master lease to provide housing for Champlain College or other university students…
Why is the “in phase one of the project” stipulation made? My concern is that this project really only provides housing and transient jobs for college students as well as expensive parking for downtown visitors. I am assuming that master lease can be signed during phase 2 and beyond.
The project is creating housing and concessions have been made to create more downtown parking, yet people are still moaning that it’s not a huge job generator? One development is not the be-all-and-end-all to solving Burlington’s problems. Burlington’s a lovely place, but the dearth of housing means prices for existing places will continue to rise unless we build more. I cringe whenever I hear friends say they can’t afford to live in Burlington. It’s not the reputation we want. Complain all you like about building height. The city is not viable just because folks can shop in it. People need to be able to afford to live in it. These new Sinex dwellings are not the long term solution, but they are a step in the right direction.
Whereas I agree that not one development is going to solve Burlington’s problems, Mayor Weinberger stated differently. He seems to think it is going to solve housing problems while creating new jobs. Sinex has made similar claims.
I also agree that Burlington has to do something about housing cost versus income. I’m skeptical as far as how much this project is going to do that. Not counting high end condos and student housing, how much housing is this project going to create? Probably not enough to justify rewriting city regulations.
Wow , what a win for John Franco . Talk about legal extortion . Use whatever pathetic methods you can to help delay a big project until they pay you to go away . No real concessions made but you get a decent bag of loot . Good job shyster !
We’ll see how many jobs this creates for Vermonters and how many work crews are brought up here from Texas & Kentucky & such or even Canada. Just keep your eyes on the trucks.
Vermont has a 3% unemployment rate. And probably not a lot of steel erection companies and available workers who have steel erection skills. Where will these Vermont workers come from? Are you saying that those 3% currently unemployed are all qualified to do excavating, steel erection, concrete, drywall, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, roofing, etc.? Do you think we could build any commercial building in Vermont using only Vermont contractors and Vermont workers? What is your proposal to hire only unemployed Vermont workers to build the building? Please explain how they will be trained to become professional welders in time for the construction of this building. Should employed workers quit their existing jobs so they can build this building instead? Have you asked Sinex whether he plans to use as many Vermont workers in this project as he reasonably can, or did you just throw out your snark for the hell of it? Just wondering.
“…any future development of Sinex-owned property at Burlington Town Center would not reach more than ten stories.”….. Isn’t this entire plot, owned by Sinex, about to be developed? Going by the final proposal, I don’t see how any additional buildings of up to ten stories could feasibly be erected, or am I missing something here?