Reconnecting Bank & Cherry is the next phase in the Great Streets reinvestment into our downtown. This project includes restoring the downtown grid by building new street segments of Saint Paul and Pine – reconnecting Bank to Cherry.
PUBLIC MEETING
A public meeting was held on in the spring of 2024 to present the street concepts. You can watch a recording of the meeting or view a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation.
Reconnecting Bank & Cherry incorporates Great Streets Design Standards along with best practices and community priorities. The project includes: a curbless Bank Street to promote walkability and easy commerce, green infrastructure to continue our tradition of protecting Lake Champlain, better lighting, more seating, additional bike parking, healthier trees, and more.
This project includes a workforce development program, managed by the City’s Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) that offers construction, weatherization, HVAC, and other trainings to members of our community.
Reconnecting Bank & Cherry is funded by multiple sources to limit the impact to the local taxpayer, including the Waterfront TIF District, a United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant, and a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) grant from Senator Leahy.
PROJECT AREA
This project will rebuild Cherry Street and Bank Street in their entirety. It will also build one new block of Saint Paul Street and one new block on Pine Street that connect Bank to Cherry Street.
Bank St. CONCEPT Plan
Bank Street is envisioned as a “curbless” pedestrian-oriented street that could be closed to through-traffic for outdoor events, festivals, etc. As with all the streets within the Burlington Great Streets project area, the streetscape will include a permeable paver belt with street trees and site furnishings. Opportunities for public gathering spaces are being explored in locations where parking spaces are not needed.
Cherry St. CONCEPT Plan
The streetscape for Cherry Street will promote downtown vitality through shared public spaces, shaded outdoor seating, and environmentally-minded design elements. Cherry Street (from St Paul St to Winooski Ave) will be a “curbless” pedestrian-oriented street that could be closed to through-traffic for outdoor events, festivals, etc.
CONSTRUCTION & downtown impacts
We expect construction to start in spring of 2027, with an anticipated construction completion in 2029.
The project team met with business owners on Bank Street and Cherry Street in the summer of 2025. We discussed several options for construction phasing and traffic control to reduce impacts to downtown, which can be reviewed in the presentation below.
