BURLINGTON — Construction for Burlington’s Great Streets Main Street project, an initiative aimed at transforming part of the city’s downtown area, is set to begin in early February, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced this week.
The $30 million dollar construction project will involve a complete makeover of part of Main Street, including better stormwater management infrastructure, a wide new strip of grass and trees, and a protected bike lane, among other changes, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the mayor’s office.
“All of this is transformational work,” Weinberger said in an interview. “It’s going to be transformational in terms of expanding these great public spaces of Burlington’s downtown—of the marketplace—it’s going to lead to really huge private investment opportunities in housing and businesses, and it’s going to make our downtown greener.”
Originally approved by Burlington voters in 2022, the initial funding for the project was intended to cover improvements on up to six blocks of Main Street — from Battery to South Union streets. Due to increased costs, however, that funding will now only cover construction on three blocks — from Pine to Winooski streets —as well as rebuilding the ravine sewer that passes beneath Main Street.
“We have faced real headwinds since this went to voters,” the mayor said, pointing to recent changes in interest rates and rising construction costs due to inflation. “We have had to alter our plans in response to those headwinds.”
The mayor said that improving the other blocks still remains a priority for the city, and that the improvements will likely be included in future construction projects.
“We do still intend to make upgrades to those other three blocks, and we have some years to figure out exactly how to do that,” he said.
The construction — which is expected to continue at least into 2026 — will involve substantial temporary street closures, but the mayor said that the city is working to mitigate impacts on traffic flow and to ensure accessibility to Main Street businesses by both pedestrians and drivers.
“It’s really important to understand that Burlington is going to remain open for business throughout this transformational project,” Weinberger said.
Despite rising costs, the project is still being funded entirely through Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a funding mechanism through which the city expects to pay for the improvements using tax revenue from new development in the area rather than raising tax rates on existing properties.
“People can be confident that this still will have no impact on their taxes,” the Mayor said.
The Main Street project is part of the city’s broader “Great Streets BTV” initiative, a plan which seeks to revitalize downtown Burlington with an eye toward sustainability and walkability.
The Main Street project will be the third of three major downtown construction projects that Burlington has pursued in recent years, following similar renovations of St. Paul Street and City Hall Park. The city has contracted Williston based SD Ireland for the construction work.
