Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and landowners in Burlington’s South End unveiled their proposed pre-development agreement for the South End Innovation District during a press conference on Thursday.
Under it, developers would aim to create around 1,100 housing units, 20% of which would be termed affordable.
The agreement among the city, Champlain College and Ride Your Bike LLC — the developers behind Burlington’s HULA site — would establish an overarching framework for the eventual development of about 13 acres of land between Lakeside Avenue and Sears Lane in Burlington’s South End.
Each of the parties currently owns a parcel in the area, which is occupied by sprawling parking lots and industrial facilities. They plan to seek City Council approval for the proposal next week.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Weinberger said that the agreement represented “a vision of a new neighborhood that would have hundreds of new homes and jobs and that will take what is currently … an under-utilized parking lot and turn it into a vibrant new Burlington neighborhood.”
City officials have for years hoped to add housing in the city’s South End. In 2019, the city adopted PlanVTV South End, which outlined a framework for growth in the area.
And last summer, the City Council rezoned the area now being considered for development, creating the South End Innovation District. With the new zoning rules, buildings of up to eight stories are permitted in certain areas, and buildings of up to six stories are allowed elsewhere in the district.
The agreement coming before the council next Monday would also commit the three parties to developing the land with an eye toward several key objectives, including walkability and sustainability.
“We are looking at this area as being a key piece for Champlain College to improve our educational outcomes for our students and also provide some direct connection for internships and career opportunity in this district where it’s just going to get better and better,” Nic Anderson, Champlain College’s assistant vice president of planning and operations, said at Thursday’s press conference.
With Weinberger set to leave office at the beginning of April, the developers said that they look forward to working on the project with incoming mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak.
“I’ve met with her and listened to her and she seems, you know, excited about the prospect,” John Caulo, a representative of Ride Your Bike, said on Thursday.
