For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Burlington, Vermont waterfront was an industrial hub. Since the 1990’s, officials have been converting the lakeshore for public and recreational use. On Monday, WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley was at the ribbon cutting of a new state-of-the-art skateboard park signifying the completion of Waterfront Access North.
It was a cold, windy day, but that didn’t stop skateboarders of all ages from coming out to test the new park on the north end of the Burlington Waterfront. As officials gathered to cut the ribbon to officially open the facility, boarders rolled, jumped and sometimes fell on its ramps and bowls.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, Governor Peter Shumlin, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and former Governor Howard Dean celebrated the official opening of the Waterfront Access North project, the first new waterfront public infrastructure investment since the creation of Waterfront Park two decades ago.
The upgrades began in August 2014 and include realignment and widening of a stretch of the city's popular bikeway and new public parking. The skate park was added and utility and power lines were put underground.
Mayor Weinberger says it creates a new spine for the northern waterfront that will spur future activity. “We are celebrating more than simply the opening of a municipal project. We’re marking the rebirth of the northern waterfront. For well over a hundred years the bustling Burlington waterfront connected Vermont’s goods and people to the world and fueled the growth of this city. In the 1980’s after long decades of decline the community began the process of transitioning from a post-industrial lakeshore to a 21st century waterfront. Today we celebrate another major step in the journey towards restoring the greatness and relevance of the full length of the Burlington waterfront.”
Senator Leahy joked that he’d not had time to jump on his skateboard to enjoy the new park, and it became a running joke, especially after the Maven Skate Shop presented the officials with skateboards. Leahy says he has used his position on the appropriations committee to aid Lake Champlain and its shoreline. “Communities throughout this country would give anything to have a setting like this. And so I’m glad that we’re making it available to everybody of all ages.”
The northern waterfront development cost $9.1 million, $4 million from federal funds and $3.9 million from Vermont’s Tax Increment Financing. City voters approved the TIF in 2012 and 2014. Governor Shumlin says the program needs to be continued. “Every year there’s a debate in the legislature about whether we should, whether we shouldn’t, somewhat undo the TIF program. I’m a huge supporter. This is why. We are literally able to use Tax Incremental Financing to ensure that with property tax help projects like this happen. It’s in all of our interest to keep TIF alive and well and moving forward.”
Mayor Weinberger believes the redevelopment of the northern waterfront creates economic development opportunities for the city. “Certainly the new marina that’s being planned. We know there are hundreds of people who want to come here by boat every weekend during the summer. They currently can’t get in. This will create about 80 new slips so that people can come in and enjoy Burlington, spend their money here. We’re excited about that. We also have this new Community Sailing Center that is getting very close to starting construction. Hopefully we’ll also have something great going on at the new Moran plant. I think if you add up all that, all of those projects, and you have the potential for just an enormous amount of additional activity and interest and reason to come to the Burlington waterfront and I think that that will certainly help Burlington’s economy in the years ahead.”
Numerous projects are still in the works for the waterfront area. Burlington Parks and Recreation plans to rebuild the 8-mile long bike path to North Beach in 2016. The city has yet to finalize redevelopment plans for the old Moran Plant, a former coal power generating facility on the waterfront.
