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History of the Marketplace
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- The original vision for Church Street was to have walkways above the sidewalks.
Construction of "The Mall"
The Two-Level Mall
The second design for Church Street was unveiled in March 1978. The design encompassed a two‑level scheme, with the lower level below the street level and connecting to adjacent buildings through their basements. The lower level would add 80,000 square. feet of retail space to the City's total with no new construction, and provide 20,000 square feet of city-owned retail space.9
The main deck, or street level could be turned into an urban park with plantings and public spaces open for retail and pedestrian uses. The design did not add to, the architecture of any existing buildings and left the street free to. vary with no design impediments. A transit study recommended rerouting of the bus routes, rescheduling and additional capital improvement expenditures to improve access to the downtown from all points surrounding the City, and to reduce headways. The total cost for the proposed two level mall was projected to exceed $19 million.10
In the Fall of 1978, the Steering Committee and the Mayor returned to Washington to gain financial support for the two-level mall. Burlington was seeking $7 million from UMTA for a bus loop linking downtown shopping, waterfront and entertainment districts with the regional bus system, $3 million from Housing and Urban Development for development around the mall area, $2 million from the Heritage Conservation and Recreation.
Service to turn street level sections of the Marketplace into an "urban park setting," $2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency for sewer and utility work on the site, and an additional $3 million from other federal agencies. 11 The overall Federal response to the mall was positive, and the City of Burlington had political support in high places. Senator Leahy of Vermont, the first Democratic Senator elected in Vermont in over 100 years, owed much of the Democratic support in the State to Burlington's Mayor Paquette.
The Senator appointed a full time staff person in his office to work on the Church Street Mall project. The Carter Administration also offered its support; the administration saw Burlington as a small city with potential for success as a demonstration site for several federal projects. Jack Watson, special assistant to President Carter and head of inter-government coordinating agency, voiced the President's support, and attended meetings. between Burlington Officials, UMTA and the other potential funding agencies.12
In March, 1979 the City of Burlington sponsored round table discussions in. which a panel of development experts reviewed city plans to assess the need for a mail and strategies for implementation in response to the proposed $20 million two-level mall.13
The panel recommended the creation of. a mall, but raised questions about the two-level design. Local citizens and merchants also responded negatively to the idea. In a University of Vermont market survey of 2,800 persons, only 13 percent were in favor of the mall design. Merchants feared. the long construction time of the project, incursion into sub ground basement areas, and the engineering and safety problems of working on buildings 100 years old, however, the costs of the project proved to be the ,most prohibitive factor. Although there was much support among various agencies, only UMTA. was able to promise any of the necessary monies.
The Final Mall
The Steering Committee decided to drop the ttow-level scheme by April 1979, and a new one-level plan was devised. The new plan included bringing the street level up to the sidewalk level, resurfacing the street with brick, adding canopies and shelters, closing the street to cars on the two central blocks, and implementing the downtown bus loop which would enable buses to cross Church Street at two intersections.
The City again submitted applications to UMTA by May 1979 for $5.4 million from section 3 Urban ~ Initiatives Grant. In June, 1979, the City was notified by the Boston Office that UMTA would allow $5.4 million for the construction of the mall out of Section 3 money, and that the City would have to put up the remaining 20 percent or $1.5 million.14
In late June, 1979, Burlington Alderman and the Planning Commission approved asking city voters to approve changes to the City Charter to enable establishment of a Church Street Marketplace district and a private governing commission. The Commission would be given power to levy common area fees, on properties that would benefit by the construction and operation of the Marketplace, for the purpose of running and maintaining the mall area. In addition, the Commission would have the power to lease space in the Marketplace, hire staff and raise money. Only, 6,400 of the total 70,000 square feet of the Burlington Square mall were to be included in the district.15
In a special election on August 21, 1979, citizens voted on a $1.5 million bond issue for the City's share of mall construction costs. While, the voters did approve the creation of the Church Street Marketplace district and governing Commission, only 65 percent of the voters approved the bond issue, 2 percent less than the required 213 majority needed for approval.16
The Mayor, acting on what appeared to be popular support, asked for another election, and in October 1979, the bond issue passed with over the needed 2/3 majority.17
With the approved creation of the Marketplace Commission, passage of the bond issue, and assurance of federal money, involvement of the Burlington Planning Commission and the Church Street Steering Committee was over. At this time, Robins, the driving force behind the project, and Alexander and Truex, the design architects, terminated their involvement in the project.
A dispute between Truex and the City over construction standards of the 400-space parking facility may have caused the resignation of that firm from the Marketplace project which resulted in the hiring of a new architect for the final design of the mall. The last act of' Robins' as head of the Steering Committee was to pass a mandate through the Board of Alderman that in any design proposals the central two blocks of Church Street would remain completely for pedestrian use only, while the outside two blocks would handle pedestrians and cars. This was an acceptable compromise for all parties.
- Burlington Square Mall is replaced by Burlington Town Center in the early years.
The Construction Phase
The new Marketplace Commission was given charge of hiring a new architect and contractor, and beginning construction. C. E. Maguire, Inc., of New Britain, Connecticut, was hired to supervise the architectural/engineering work. That firm assumed all engineering tasks and contracted, in turn, with Carr, Lynch Associates. of Cambridge, Massachusetts to act as. architects. Design work was based on the final design scheme by Alexander and Truex, a one level street mall with replacement and improvement of utilities underground, resurfacing of the street and improvements and appointments along the surface.
The new $6 million design scheme was approved in early 1980 and construction was scheduled to begin in July, 1980. A contractor was selected, and a construction consultant manager was hired from an independent construction company to coordinate the efforts of the contractor and the architect, to expedite problem solutions, and to review scheduling and construction progress. The consultant manager has been credited with, completing the construction of the mall ahead of schedule and under budget. Construction began on July 7, 1980.18
In the 1980 construction' season, the street was torn up and underground utility improvements were installed one block at a time. In 1981 the street amenities were added. During the sixteen months of construction, none of the businesses along Church Street changed locations or terminated business and retail sales in the area showed no .decline. In fact, some reports indicated that more persons came into the Church Street area after construction began.
Construction workers became local folk heroes, and tales of their skills, became popular. The Marketplace Commission took advantage of the publicity of construction by publishing and broadcasting schedules of weekly construction events for spectators. Advertising and promotion were heaviest during the first month of construction to lessen the impact of construction on potential shoppers. construction was completed in the fall of 1981.
The completed mail is covered by a level brick surface up to store entrances. Trees, planters and benches are placed along all four blocks of the mall. Auto traffic is restricted from three blocks, by bollards and chains. One way traffic is allowed on the southern most block but parking is prohibited from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. The intersecting streets allow two way traffic flow. Delivery traffic is allowed on the main length of the Marketplace between 7:00 and 10:00 a.m. In conjunction with the Marketplace, an adequate bus system was created to allow workers and shoppers to get to and from the downtown easily, and it is complemented by close parking.
The transit system was rerouted and rescheduled to include routes that service downtown from all suburban points. Each bus circles the transit loop of downtown before departing, thus passengers are within 350 feet of any destination downtown. Scheduling was coordinated by creating a "Pulse" system in which all buses depart simultaneously from downtown and headway are one half hour at all downtown stops.19
Transit shelters *were built on two streets that intersect the Marketplace, and a new terminal was built adjacent to the Marketplace at the corner of Cherry and Church Streets. The shelters are semi-nclosed areas that protect waiting passengers from rain and snow, but provide little protection from wind and cold. A particular point of interest on the Church Street Marketplace is the restriction of buses from the length of the street; buses charge and discharge passengers at intersection corners of the streets and the Marketplace.
9. "Mall Project Cost Expected to Top $15 Million", Gayle Gertler, Burlington Free Press, July 6, 1978
10. Ann Devroy, September 13, 1978.
11. Ibid
12. "Boston Planner Expects Experience Easy to Adapt to Burlington Needs", Rob Eley, Burlington Free Press, February 23, 1979.
13. "Marketplace Grant Withdrawn Delayed", Alan Abbey. Burlington Free Press, August 23, 1979.
14. "Church Street Market District Finally Gets City's Approval", Alan Abbey, Burlington Free Press, June 28, 1979.
15. "Paquette Says City Should Expect Second Vote on Marketplace", Alan Abbey, Burlington Free Press, August' 28, 1979
16. "Voters OK Marketplace Bond Issue", Alan Abbey, Burlington Free Press, October 31, 1979.
17. “Marketplace Construction Begins Monday; Merchants Hope Work Won't Scare off Shoppers", Steve Larose, Burlington Free Press, Jul 6, 1980.
18. "Changes in Bus Routes Begin Monday", Rob Eley, Burlington Free Press, July 5, 1980.
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