BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The developer of a stalled mall in Vermont’s largest city has presented a downsized plan and pledges to resume construction next year.
Representatives of Brookfield Properties presented the Burlington City Council on Monday with a plan that will reduce the size of the project from its original 14 stories to no more than eight or nine stories. It also includes a 175-room hotel and will still provide for 280 to 300 apartments, including affordable ones, said Aanen Olsen, Brookfield’s vice president of mixed-use development.
He told the city council that the former Macy’s building will now be included in the project, as office space and retail and restaurants on the ground floor.
A change in construction techniques will help reduce costs, he said.
“We understand it’s been a long process. We are thankful for the patience of the city and all of it constitutes,” Olsen said. “Bear with us, we are going to get this project built.”
Construction on what had been the roughly $200 million CityPlace development has been stalled since August 2018. It was originally designed as a 14-story development with housing, office space, restaurants and shops.
City councilors generally were pleased with news of the smaller project but some complained about the delay.
“We’re all happy today to see some progress,” said Council President Kurt Wright.
In late September, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger sent a letter to the developers demanding that they pay $200,000 to cover costs associated with the delay.
Jeffry Glassberg, a consultant to the city, told the Burlington Free Press that Brookfield paid the funds, except for a $10,000 shortfall due to a “paperwork snafu,” that will be reconciled next month.
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