 All right, welcome everyone. I think we're ready to get started. Thank you for joining us. This is a very exciting day for the city As you can see just up the street We have broken ground today on the Great Streets Main Street project after many years of work This project began In a very real way the day I was elected it was not because I was elected But because voters endorsed that day the Creation of what we call the downtown Tiff district the voters have weighed in on using that downtown Tiff several times in the year since and there's also been many years of planning of design of engagement with the public and as a result of all of that I am very grateful to say that Before leaving office, we are going to be able to start this long-awaited project This is the final of three major downtown Tiff investments in the heart of this city and you can see all three of them We're basically in the middle of them right here So City Hall Park was built in part with Tiff money the new St. Paul Street Which was our first Great Streets project was was one of the three projects and then this one is By far far the largest and this will stretch all the way from the corner of Main Street and Winooski Avenue to Pine Street and and and Main Street down the hill when this is complete the Gateway this this whole gateway to the city will really be transformed You will now have the Church Street Marketplace intersecting with and joining a Main Street that has been completely rebuilt and transformed to support outdoor eating to support outdoor art to support active transportation in addition to the continued use of Main Street, of course by by cars And other vehicles the wider sidewalk shorter crosswalks walks and protected bike lanes will make it easier for everyone to travel to downtown and to Waterfront Park and back again the Together these three projects constitute the biggest public investment in the downtown in many decades maybe ever and With this we're really just sort of at the midpoint what will continue After here because of the city's work and because the work of our partners At City Place and our federal partners The improvement of the downtown is going to go beyond just this Main Street project And we'll continue on to Cherry Street and Bank Street and the new streets through City Place with in total there will be an additional more than 40 million dollars of federal funding and TIF investment Being made in that part of the downtown in the years ahead So you know in total we've never seen this type of investment public investment in the downtown and It is being accompanied as we hoped with an unprecedented level of private investment a lot of that has We've talked about in the past. We Had the two biggest Development projects in the state's history are underway right now You can see one of them from here as well the City Place project You can't quite see it, but we know the largest project in the state's history Cambrian rise is on North Avenue We are seeing smaller projects respond to the changes in regulation and to the investment in the in In public Infrastructure as well whether that's the City West departments that just opened a few weeks ago down by August 1st or the demolition that is going on right now At the old YMCA where we're going to see almost a hundred new additional homes built or at the nest project that opened just a couple years ago We are seeing an unprecedented level of private investment in housing and in businesses happening Right now as well. I think it's I think it's important to note that and emphasize that because obviously Burlington we know like cities across the country around the world is is Challenged by the pandemic and the recovery that's happened since we are seeing We have seen challenges in the downtown this past year and last past couple years that we haven't seen in the past It's important that we not also see that while that is happening There is great hope and investment in the future of this city There are so many new businesses that are starting up There are so many new people that are investing in the downtown in many ways the future of Burlington has never been brighter So with that I just want to say a couple. Thank yous and then we're gonna hear from several other other folks None of this would be possible without the best in team best in class team of department heads planners engineers technical services This is folks and more that are working for the the city of Burlington You know, I can't name everyone here and won't I We are gonna get a chance to hear from Chape and Spencer in a moment who has been the director of public works for 11 years now and as the head of this team in many ways but I want to say thank you to everyone else that's here our city engineer norm Baldwin and the Just you can see a lot of the folks here and I I'm grateful to each and every one of you. I Want to notice not just DPW. We also have our planning director Megan Tuttle is here Our clerk treasure department has been critical in this because of the the TIF aspects of the development CEDO any community development project CEDO is at the forefront. I think Brian Pine is here somewhere here is Brian and The city attorney's office has been critical in this the number number of agreements that need to take place Car Islanders while Raui are the head of our new department newest department the business and workforce development department has been a key part of the engagement with all the businesses during during this period and and I'm going to talk more about that business What this means for downtown businesses and how we're going to ensure that Burlington stays open for business throughout this construction period in a moment, but first let me welcome again the Someone who has been so committed to this effort and all the other public investment that we've been making for 11 years now Chapin Spencer. Thank you What a day here folks. Thanks for being here on Burlington's One sunny day of the year so far Mayor I was wondering why After you spoke why now I know why I'm feeling so busy I have to say the number of projects that this great community is focused on really shows the Resilience that we are Instituting through these investments for the future of Burlington There are times where we debate in this community some of the highest elevations the projects that You know pierce the sky, but we don't often talk about the lowest elevations in our city and The favorite one of the high-vis folks behind me is the ravine sewer and that is a key element of this project It turns 150 years old this year, so it is very apt that we Recognize this resource and while it was a feat of engineering when it was built It now restricts the development of the next phase of Burlington That project when it was built helped advance Burlington in the early 20th century But this Main Street project Sets us on a course for future development growth and vitality in our great city As you'll see behind me a key element of the Main Street Great Streets project is Setting up a ravine bypass for this ravine sewer the 48 inch pipe is behind us on the truck And will allow for smarter investments in housing and commerce We're also Replacing the old sewer and water mains up and down the corridor that run directly under the street So that they don't pose risks to the investment We are making now or to business operations in the future So let's just talk briefly about what we've done to prepare because we are aware that this is a large project that will have impact on our community Some of the things that we've done is Pre-characterized the soils along the corridor so that we know what we're digging up and can work with it efficiently and cost effectively to as I said, we're replacing all of the wastewater and Water services and laterals that are at risk of failure connecting our important businesses To our utility and at doing so at no cost to the property owners on this corridor In addition, thanks to the leadership of business and workforce development We have a $15,000 grant to help continue promoting our great businesses And lastly, I think it's important to know that through traffic control All doors every door of every business will be accessible during this project There may be different ways to travel to it But there will be avenues and we will make sure to help get you to where you need to go So remember these things Burlington remains open for business And the businesses need our support. So let's continue to invest in them We have parking downtown the downtown garage continues to have hundreds of spaces daily We're working with a couple of other adjacent Garages and we'll have more information for you about those soon There's more information at park burlington.com And their project emails and it's as simple as signing up at great streets btv.com slash main street I can't say enough about the team behind me around me. This is not dpw This is not just the city the fact that you know, we have representatives of the flan the business community This is our collective project for future generations Let's make the impact as big as we can for the future And uh, let's get this done. Thank you. All right Next we're in here from Hannah King who is the ward 8 city counselor The city council has been a critical partner in everything that gets done Of course in the city and there's been strong council support throughout this effort and this project is actually in Ward 8 and we're excited to have ward 8 city councilor hannah king with us here today Sorry, i'm gonna proudly read off of my phone for this, but Good afternoon everyone. My name is hannah king and i'm the ward 8 city counselor Thank you to the mayor and our dedicated city team for all of the work you've done on advancing this great project Living in ward 8 and working downtown means my most used method of transportation is walking Like many burlingtonians would agree the more you walk the more you get to know our city Our sidewalks and streets suffer from wear and tear It takes investment to upkeep our transportation infrastructure and it takes vision to reimagine it Once completed the great streets transformation will truly change the ways we experience and use our streets and sidewalks This is truly exciting The businesses and streets in our community are the backbone of our city adding vibrancy in each corner of our city I look forward to seeing how this historic project will improve the commercial experience One other exciting aspect of the great streets project is that believe it or not. It was unanimously approved by the city council We don't always get to see that Um, but seriously unanimous council support speaks to the broad support this initiative has And the work that went in to earn buy-in from the community at large Our community is only as good as our streets and public spaces And i'm excited to see how this project will aid in bettering both of those. Thank you Next, uh, I'm excited to uh, welcome to the podium peggy, o'neill vivanco who Really wears a number of uh relevant important hats In this community She is first of all the chair of the public works commission and The public works commission has worked very hard on this project for many years The commission actually has to has her statutory authority over A number of issues involving the public right away and so they've been a key partner in this Um peggy also has a big role with this wonderful burlington high school program the City and lake semester and we'll speak about the many city and lake students that we have here with us today She also is one of the biggest active transportation advocates that the city has and has been for many years and uh This is a happy day for that the the progress on active transportation, too So i'm excited to get to share this with you peggy. Welcome Good afternoon, thank you all um I'm also um, i'm also a mom. I'm also the director of the romont clean cities coalition at uvm's transportation research center Um, and so it's with all these hats that i'm really thrilled to see the construction begin on this project today Main street great street project. I think is inspired by the people centered past of of burlington's main street in the early 1900s that was focused on people moving around It also is responding to the multimodal complexities of our present And setting us up for um a more equitable efficient resilient and sustainable transportation future That will prior prioritize safer accessible flow of People and goods you can ask any of these burlington high school students about people and goods moving on our streets um The result will really be a more inviting Um an economically vibrant street for all our users um a few years ago City council had a resolution to incorporate more youth voices on our boards So public works instead of having one youth on our board. We brought our work to students So we incorporated the youth perspective on this particular project with the burlington high school burlington city and lake semester students Some of whom are here today our youth voices are really important um So the cohort from two years ago, they worked with the city engineering team They work with the project consultants. They work with director spencer They worked with a few of the public works commissioners to add their insights to the design of main street They expressed concern about accessibility More green space safe bike lanes Safer bus access and pedestrian amenities amenities for those who choose not to drive or don't have Availability to a privately owned vehicle All these pieces are incorporated into this final design Some of the key aspects about this project that excite me Are the increase in ada accessible parking spaces An increase in dynamic curb space for all our loading and unloading Um Shorter street crossings and more crosswalks that prioritize kids and our more vulnerable pedestrians More civic spaces like this right here where businesses can flourish and community members can gather Dedicated protected bike lane between pine street and wanouski And uphill eastbound bike lane to willard street Striped bike lanes that lead to battery street all of these moving burlington closer towards more efficient cycling network And then two more points are an increase in enriched landscape with native plants and trees That's sequester carbon That filter our storm water and cool our increasingly heating city Improvements as you've heard in our storm water and sewer systems along main street are also part of this project So as you can see this project includes aspects from burlington's newly adopted nature-based climate solution climate solutions plan The walk bike plan and our net zero energy roadmap This is a testament to burlington's commitment to creating a more inclusive Resilient and enjoyable urban space for our residents our visitors and our business community I want to emphasize as everyone has said before that burlington is open for business during construction Come downtown support our businesses and our cultural institutions and thank you so much Okay, um, so Thank you peggy. Um one of those businesses that um Is right That is absolutely open that is a key part of why we can say that burlington is open for business And is going to stay open for business through this long Construction project is the flin center for the performing arts Um, we are so grateful for the partnership, uh of the flin In keeping burlington a great dynamic Attractive downtown We know that This project is going to Uh, that that's a big job what the flin does day to day. You know, we my office is right up there We look out we see hundreds of school kids from around the state being coming in and getting to Enjoy performances at the flin. It's a small it's quite a production that the flin is able to get Shows in and out of the downtown off of lower church streets through their loading dock and all that's being made Harder by this project and yet, uh, i'm very excited j wall is is here the executive director for the flin He's here to to share some remarks and and i'm happy to have this opportunity to say publicly j that the city is very committed to working with you throughout this to make sure that We are helping you Get through this difficult period and we appreciate your enthusiasm knowing that on the other side of this We're gonna have a stronger downtown than ever and that This kind of investment is is worth it. So with that j welcome Good morning, uh, thank you mayor weinberger. Uh, thank you councillor king Uh, thank you directors spencer who was a longtime volunteer for the flin Uh, and thank you public works commission chair O'Neill of Ivanko Wow, it's so good to be here. Uh, my name is j wall. I'm the executive director of the flin On behalf of our staff our board our volunteers and our crew I really appreciate the opportunity For the clean for the flin to be included in today's press conference and to encourage all vermonters to come Downtown to burlington during this process and support business We need you to come down and support us We're here. We're open. We're eager to see you This work will improve the city in so many ways And it is absolutely in everyone's long-term interest to see this be successful When complete it will greatly enhance our downtown for years to come Including a new crosswalk right here that connects this park to the flin's front door Woo indeed I do believe the city is committed to minimizing the impact on burlington business during construction They have ensured us that they will be providing updated road closure and detour information on an ongoing basis Through their website street signage and much more The flin will then be able to amplify that information on our social pages our website and emails to audiences school bus drivers And artists so they can all get here on time and be ready to go For all our audiences We ask that you please please please please plan on allowing additional time when you come to the show to the flin To ensure your in your seats for the start of the performance I recommend making a dinner reservation at trattoria delia or a single pebble or a honey road Or at any of the many wonderful restaurants that make up our downtown We want you to get to town early so you can navigate the construction fine parking eat something yummy and come to the flin All the ingredients for a magical night out Since september the flin has had about 60,000 people through its doors and 40 percent of those were from outside chitin county So I know that many people are looking to the city to help them navigate this process with up to date information Our key message to audiences throughout the construction will always be to arrive early at the flin This aims to give everyone enough time to make their dinner reservations and their show We're so proud to be here. We're so proud to be part of the vermont community And of all the shows that we're able to do and to work with the city. So thank you mayor Thank you for including the flin and I'll see you at the show Okay, so we've got a couple more things to do here. Um, we uh The the way we're gonna kind of symbolically break ground in a moment involves that enormous Pipe behind us. We're gonna have kind of a signing ceremony for Anyone who wants to sign it and be kind of part of this time capsule That's going to get put in the ground here in the in a sense this, you know, this That pipe will be going in and uh, isn't going to be dug up for a long time. We uh, we we certainly hope So we're gonna do that in a moment before doing that though Are there any questions that the the media has for for me or any other speakers today? Yeah, great. Um, and director chavin spencer spoke to this a little bit. There's been a Higher level and we learned a lot from from that project It was and that was part of the plan from the start. We knew that When we took on main street, it was going to be bigger and potentially, you know And have more impacts on the downtown than st. Paul street. So we started with that for that reason And took a lot of lessons from it. There's been a higher level of Advanced preparation on this project a lot more drilling in the ground and advanced to know exactly Uh, what to expect when we we start unearthing this part of main street We are working with Businesses in in new ways to help make the connections to the city infrastructure More financially affordable and encourage people to do that. So there's less disruptions as a result of Those sort of lateral failures And we have learned a lot about communicating with businesses and and working with them to ensure that pedestrians have access Throughout and that's what uh, chavin spencer was was referring to there. Um, we Have, you know a major effort that's going to go in as you've heard Throughout this to communication and and making sure that when, you know Surely there will be unexpected challenges that happen when you dig underground. You always have some surprises We are going to work very hard to make sure that if there are any changes in the plan That's being communicated fully with with affected Business owners and the public Did I miss anything chavin? You want anything to that? You did great. All right, great Yeah well, listen, um Public safety is the first priority and and you know last week we we took a vote at the council to go to the public and make Sure we're adding resources to make sure we can continue to have fully funded public safety budgets going forward We need to keep rebuilding the the police department. We need We need the state to be a full partner in this and not be putting more people on the street Which was one of the big challenges we faced last summer where we saw hundreds of People put out onto the street with no place to go in an incredibly tight housing market We can't have any more of that this year. It's really important that the the legislature Extend the the motel program so we can get everyone that is there permanently housed which we have been doing successfully So, you know all all of that is and more Is the the heart of what we are trying to do and need to do Going forward to make sure that the flin and all the other downtown businesses are properly supported that we have the right downtown climate I we are going to turn that We are going to keep making that progress. We are going to get the police department rebuilt. We are going to Um Keep burlington the welcoming safe place that we have long enjoyed What I think tonight today is about is uh is is a another Level of work this long term long term work and investment that Is also necessary to keep burlington what it's been for, you know The greater part, you know for for hundreds of years now this place of opportunity this place where people Can can invest and create businesses Public infrastructure is essential to that We had too many years where we were not making the right investments in our public infrastructure to sustain that kind of Vibrancy as a city. We are now this project is a big part of that There's more than 40 million dollars of additional investments to come and the streets the blocks just a little farther to the north I think when we look back on this period We will see this as a as an unprecedented level of public and private investment in the city that It really ensures that through the the 21st century burlington remains a great city All right with that, um Let's uh kid does anyone Who's Samantha? What do we do exactly from here? Well, first of all let actually I one person I haven't called out here that I need to um Scott ireland, uh, the ireland, uh company sc ireland is uh is is the contractor for this project like so many Of the public infrastructure projects happening in burlington and elsewhere around the state It is pretty remarkable right now You can't walk down main street without seeing a few ireland trucks Roll by whether it's headed to the champlain parkway or city place or now to main street And uh, scott, we really appreciate the partnership and thank you for uh hauling the the pipe down here to help us Kick this off right. So thank you scott Even we'll take the first two and the other speakers And you could give the cameras a second if you want to follow us over there You're welcome to and then everyone who wants to sign it can sign it. Excellent. Great. Let's see All right Dpw