The Community & Economic Development Office and Burlington’s Department of Public Works are working with Resource Systems Group on the Waterfront Access North transportation improvement project. This is the second phase of a larger waterfront design project. The first phase, including the reconstruction of lower College Street, reconfiguration of the Pease parking lot, and construction of a new information building with public bathrooms, is now complete. The Waterfront Access North project involves rebuilding the end of Lake Street, realigning and upgrading portions of the bike path, brownfield remediation, utility undergrounding, consolidated parking, new Skatepark, sidewalks, plantings and lighting improvements; and all other needed public improvements.
Financing for the second phase is now complete, with the 74.90% voter approval on November 6, 2012, to issue general obligation bonds not to exceed $6,050,000 to finance public improvements that serve the Waterfront Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, specifically for the Waterfront Access North project and for Bike Path improvements. These bonds will be repaid with TIF revenue. In February 2010 the city received of a $3.15 million federal award under the highly competitive TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant program for the Waterfront Access North project. The planning stages of the project are complete and were paid for through funds previously secured by Senator Patrick Leahy to improve public access to all parts of the downtown waterfront.