As the weather warms, Church Street has come alive. There are new businesses, coming events and projects abound. Here is a brief update on some the happenings on our mall.
This spring, the Marketplace saw the opening of 3 new businesses, reducing the already low vacancy rate on the pedestrian mall. Phoenix Books, The Saratoga Olive Oil Company, and City Sports now all call Burlington home. The old Ann Taylor building also saw some use this month, as the Clothing Exchange set-up in the space for a few days.
On May 14, Matt McMahon, Lake Champlain Regional...
BBA Sustaining Member, FairPoint Communications, Inc., has kicked off “Heroes in Our Community” as a way to recognize the great work of Vermont’s nonprofits.
“Vermont’s nonprofits really make the Green Mountain State a stronger and better place to live and work,” said Mike Smith, Vermont state president for FairPoint. “They connect communities and help Vermonters; FairPoint is honored to recognize their good deeds.”
"This is a great example of a community business helping out community initiatives," noted...
The Queen City Police Foundation will be holding their annual fundraising breakfast on Monday, May 21 at 8 AM at the Hilton Burlington. Created in 2000, the foundation helps to support the Burlington Police Department and further community relationships by providing equipment and technology and supporting community involvement.
"Their work is important to businesses in Burlington because when the police department operates efficiently, it means better response times, better police presence and better collaboration between the department and our business owners," noted Kelly Devine, Executive Director of the BBA.
Among the most recent projects, the Foundation has provided...
That big empty retail space across from the bus station on Church Street? Filled. City Sports, a retailer of athletic gear that originated in Boston, held their Grand Opening Event May 6.
“This is exciting for Burlington,” said Kelly Devine, Executive Director of the BBA. “When BBA Board Member Jeff Nick broke the news at our Holiday Social in December, there were cheers throughout the room. Over the past two years, vacancy on Church Street has dropped to near 0. When Church Street is vibrant, it helps all of our downtown businesses."
The votes have been cast; the results tallied. Three different Burlington Business Association awards will be presented at the 34th BBA Dinner and Annual Meeting on April 5th at the Hilton, Burlington.
Scott D. Carpenter, District President of KeyBank, will receive the Tim Halvorson Award, which is given to an individual in recognition of outstanding contribution to the economic vitality of Burlington. Carpenter began working for KeyBank’s predecessor, Bank of Boston, in 1991. Since then, he has helped lead Key’s Small Business division, started their Private Banking and Investing Group and earned...
For the past two years, the BBA has focused its attention on working with the city to make improvements to City Hall Park. Recently the BBA partnered with Burlington City Arts and others to procure a $50,000 “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Now, the first steps in utilizing those funds are underway. A Facebook page, Imagine City Hall Park, keeps people updated about park happenings and...
