Words from Senator Patrick Leahy

As a long-time Burlington resident, I am proud to see what a tremendous success the Church Street Marketplace has been over the past 20 years.

There is an historic relationship between the City of Burlington and Church Street. The revitalized business district of the Church Street Marketplace is a gateway to Vermont that draws millions of people every year to the Champlain Valley for social and cultural events. Everyone knows that there is always something going on along Church Street, and the wide array of activities held here year-round helps guarantee that.

To me, Church Street also is Burlington’s front porch. Whenever I leave my office and walk up Church Street to get the paper in the morning, it usually takes me at least an hour and a half to get back. I have learned more from just talking to people on the street than from any poll or survey. In fact, when I was State’s Attorney in Chittenden County before I was elected to the Senate, I probably ran into more lawyers and discussed more cases on Church Street than in any courthouse.

Church Street is full of memories for me and my family. Marcelle and I bought our wedding rings and our 25th anniversary bands at Preston’s Jewelers. All three of our children were fitted for shoes by John Adams at Abernethy's Department Store. John went on to open Adams Boots and Shoes on the upper block for his many customers after Abernethy's closed. My kids are all grown up now, but that store is still there. I purchased my son Kevin’s first comic book at Collette’s – a childhood treasure he still has. And whenever Marcelle and I are in town we call Kevin, now a lawyer in Burlington, to meet us for lunch at Halvorson’s.

I also have fond memories of Lois Bodoky, better known to all of us as the Hot Dog Lady, whose cart has been a fixture on Church Street for more than 25 years. Lois went into the hot dog business not long after her hair salon was lost in a fire, and at the same time I was running my first campaign for the Senate. Back then, Church Street was a typical Vermont downtown, and Lois operated her cart on the sidewalk as cars and buses passed by on the street. Now, her cart is in a prime spot on Church Street, even during some of Vermont’s coldest winter months.

When I was elected to the Senate in 1974, federal officials then had their offices in the federal building downtown. My first Senate office, though, was in the old Firehouse next to City Hall. Our presence there, as the main tenant in the building during my first two terms, was instrumental in saving it from demolition. I am proud to be part of the current restoration effort of the Firehouse Gallery.


In 1979, I worked with President Jimmy Carter and then-Mayor Gordon Paquette on a $5.4 million federal grant from the Urban Mass Transit Administration for improvements to Church Street and creation of a downtown bus loop. Through the hard work of my staff – most notably Paul Bruhn and Margaret Gross – the project was an early example of a coordinated multi-agency effort involving HUD, EPA, FWHA, USDA, and UMTA. All of these agencies collaborated successfully on the project without the intervention of Congress. Such a feat is still not easy to accomplish today.

Burlington worked hard that year to pass the $1.6 million Burlington bond necessary to secure the federal funds for the project. From the first bricklaying in 1980, to the grand opening in 1981, to the twentieth anniversary this year, I have been proud to support Church Street for the past two decades. Mayor Paquette, Mayor Bernie Sanders, Mayor Peter Brownell, and now Mayor Peter Clavelle have all put in enormous amounts of time and energy to make Church Street what it is today. Shifting from car to pedestrian traffic and from empty storefronts to lively festivals, the Marketplace has changed dramatically and has brought life and vibrance back to downtown Burlington. The Marketplace remains a dynamic symbol of community partnerships and redevelopment efforts that work in Vermont.

After 20 years, however, the Marketplace is beginning to show its age. The water and electrical systems need upgrades. The bricks and pavement need reconditioning. And public restrooms are in short supply. That is why I have worked hard to bring additional federal dollars to Church Street for these needed upgrades. Earlier this year, the Senate passed a Transportation Appropriations Bill that included $1.5 million for the Marketplace. Along with $375,000 from last year, this will go a long way toward ensuring that the long-term infrastructure needs of the Church Street Marketplace are met so future generations will be able to enjoy this special place.

Hearty and heartfelt thanks to Tim Halvorson, Ron Redmond and everyone from the
Church Street Marketplace Commission for your tireless efforts to keep this place going strong over the past two decades. Best of luck for the next 20 years. And I’ll see you on Church Street.
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