CityPlace Burlington

CityPlace Partners, LLC

Freeman French Freeman has been a long-term partner for CityPlace, a mixed-use development in Burlington, Vermont. The project replaces the Burlington Town Center Mall, which closed in 2017, with over 700,000 square feet of new construction in the heart of downtown. The project also re-establishes two north-south streets—Pine and St. Paul—that the mall displaced when it was built in the mid-1970s.

The technical challenge of redeveloping an entire city block, an exceptionally high level of citizen engagement in the development process, and the economic impact of a global pandemic have resulted in multiple changes to the design of this high-profile, urban infill project over the years.

At each stage of the process, the design team has met these challenges head-on. The result is a project that delivers great benefits to the City of Burlington and its residents. Key elements of the design, now under construction, include:

– Over 350 new apartments, with at least one in five units reserved as permanently affordable.

– Two new hotels, with up to 350 rooms

– Over 40,000 square feet of retail space for shops and services.

– Covered parking for over 400 cars and 350 bikes.

– A reconnected city grid with new streets and wider sidewalks to enhance urban living.

– The project will be built to LEED Gold standards and feature renewable energy, advanced stormwater management, a building envelope insulated beyond already stringent code requirements, and environmentally friendly building materials.

The project is being developed by three businesspeople with deep ties in the community: Dave Farrington; owner of Farrington Construction; Al Senecal, owner of Omega Vermont, and Scott Ireland, owner of SD Ireland Companies. Giri Hotel Management of Quincy, Massachusetts joined the group in 2023 as a minority partner and will operate the two hotels.

CityPlace Burlington will truly be a place to live, work, eat, shop, and play in a connected and thriving downtown core. The South Tower, now the tallest building in Vermont at 140 feet, will open in 2025. The North Tower, which represents over three quarters of the project square footage, is scheduled to open in 2026.