South Burlington residents who go to the polls November 6 will face a $21.8 million question. That’s the tab for a proposed building that would house a new city hall, public library and senior center.
The long-discussed project would help anchor the suburb’s hoped-for downtown, known as City Center. The building would be constructed at 180 Market Street, a short walk from the Blue Mall on Dorset Street, and across from Rick Marcotte Central School.
Approval could build momentum to create a pedestrian-oriented downtown in the suburban community. So far, the envisioned $300 million mix of housing, retail and office space has stayed mostly on the drawing board.
The community building renderings depict a three-story structure with an auditorium, meeting rooms, library, activity rooms for seniors, and office space for planning, zoning and the city clerk.
The new structure would replace the cramped municipal building at 575 Dorset Street and provide South Burlington’s public library a permanent home. City officials moved the library temporarily to the University Mall last year after it outgrew its shared space with the South Burlington High School library.
If voters approve, construction of the community building would begin next spring, with completion expected in 2020. Much of the project would be financed with revenue from a city property tax that funnels money to a City Center reserve fund.
Other funds would come from tax increment financing. A portion of tax revenue from new housing, office and retail development at City Center would be used to pay off the structure. Voters have already authorized such funding for the reconstruction of Market Street and for park improvements in the downtown area.
Property taxes would not be affected, according to city handouts about the project. City forecasts assume private development will generate new tax revenue. If the actual tax revenue is lower than forecast, though, the city and its taxpayers would still be on the hook.
The city would allow the South Burlington School District to lease the existing municipal building at 575 Dorset Street and buy it after three years for a nominal fee.
Four articles on the ballot are related to the new City Hall project financing and related property easements.
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Miro-itis spreads to South Burlington . . just don’t get Don Sinex to do the development as he will hang you out to dry in spite of the ton of goodies he extracts from the city government.
Beware of wolves in developers’ clothing promising rainbows, unicorns and “vibrancy”.
Chittenden County is fast becoming more like New Jersey than Vermont.
The wealth extractors at the Chamber of Commerce will push this development hard.
Why all the dislikes? Unless all of you like Don the con. If it does pass be sure he isn’t picked as the one that gets the contract!
LOL you are saying that South Burlington developing land that it has desperately wanted to develop for over 30 years is the result of Miro. Man, you have such a boner for that man.
South Burlington certainly has an identity crisis. After all the hoofraw over renaming the High School teams to a non-racist, totally inoffensive Wolves, you think this town understands the ramifications of more construction in Dorset St morass? A walking area that you can only get to by driving? Oh, but you’re there already for school and shopping, so why not? How much of this housing is going to be affordable? I sure hope the voters in South Burlington aren’t being sold a pig in a poke, and that their politicians aren’t taken in the way Burlington’s were.
I encourage anyone interested in getting correct information to read some of the extensive, thorough, and up to date coverage in The Other Paper (South Burlington’s community paper). You can’t trust people from out of town who’ve never gone to a city council, development review board, or planning commission meeting to have their facts straight.
Maybe South Burlington can find a halfwit like Don Sinex to head up the project.
Go Rebels!