Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
BURLINGTON – Downtown business owners say they are fighting to hang on as the end of Main Street construction is hopefully in sight.
The Great Streets BTV project began construction in February 2024. Wider sidewalks, more flexible outdoor spaces and water collection improvements are designed to make downtown more walkable and dynamic.
Some business owners have expressed frustration with the project’s disruption of downtown, driving customers away from the area. At the same time, many view the construction as a necessary step towards a more accessible downtown.
The Burlington Department of Public Works heard these concerns and attempted to remedy them through a variety of resources, said DPW Public Information Manager Robert Goulding.
“We did hire a public involvement coordinator at the start of the project so that businesses can have a regular contact dedicated to the project,” Goulding said. “We have been replacing water lines for property owners on Main Street at no cost to them and have offered a variety of parking promotions.”
Despite these efforts, some Main Street businesses, like Nectar’s and The Gryphon, have recently announced their permanent closure. Both spots cited decreased foot traffic as one of the reasons.
The Gryphon noted that it was a “trying past year” in a social media post on September 7.
For the businesses that remain open, many said they’ve had to shift their operations to keep up with the disruptions.
Honey Road was unable to set up its outdoor seating this past summer because the area outside the restaurant was regularly being dug up and filled in, according to owner Alison Gibson.
“It definitely impacted our sales,” Gibson said. “We modified the way that we do our reservations in our walk a little bit. So now, we basically reserve more of the restaurant than we did historically. And that helped a lot.”
Brad Kelley, owner of Burlington Wine Shop, also had to change his course of action.
“I’ve had to shift pretty heavily towards going after sales in terms of sending out emails and a few deals and offerings and stuff,” he said. “People are definitely not walking in the door at the same rate as they have in past years.”
The construction is scheduled to finish by November 2026. But some businesses and customers alike are starting to get antsy as another fall on Main Street is disrupted.
“It’s not fun standing here watching it every day,” said Kountry Kart Deli employee Sarah Brochure. “It hasn’t been fun having the road closed down, back and forth, because it’s tough for customers.”
Some of the finished construction can already be seen in downtown Burlington.
The corner outside of The Gryphon is fitted with fresh concrete sidewalks that have been widened to accommodate more outdoor seating and shared spaces, as outlined in the original Great Streets BTV plan.
The irony of the construction outside The Gryphon being completed days after they announced their closure is not lost on Burlington residents.
“I kind of wonder, when we do finally finish this in another year or so, what’s going to be here still?” Kelley said. “What’s gonna be left?”
Many business owners agree that downtown Burlington was in need of an upgrade.
“It hasn’t been great for business, but we’re realists. We know it has to be done,” Brochure said.
The most disruptive part of the construction is over and others are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, according to Gibson.
“The infrastructure needed to happen. The beautification is going to be really lovely,” she said.