BURLINGTON, VT – Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, and local business leaders came together to announce a $22.38 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program, which was expanded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The funding will help provide resources for the final design and construction of Cherry Street, Bank Street, and sections of Pine Street and St. Paul Street.
“The Reconnecting Downtown Burlington project is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure investment in the City of Burlington. When this project is complete, we’ll have created new opportunities to grow small businesses, build new affordable housing, and expand access to green, accessible transit in our city center,” said Sen. Peter Welch. “I am so glad to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law come to life in such an incredible way and was proud to do my part in passing and implementing this transformative bill. Congratulations to Mayor Weinberger and the city of Burlington for this major step forward to making this revitalization project a reality. Through collaboration and partnership, we’re going to bring new infrastructure and green innovation to downtown Burlington, and importantly, create good-paying jobs right here in Vermont.”
“From the start, this project has been an attempt to repair the damage done to this part of town when Burlington, like so many other American communities, tore down a large swath of its downtown as part of the federal Urban Renewal program. When we went to voters nearly a decade ago with a vision to rebuild and reconnect this once vibrant neighborhood, we were trying to accomplish three big things; building a lot more homes, restoring the street grid, and updating aging public infrastructure,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Big goals like these are not easy to achieve — they require vision, hard work, and persistence. There were many times it seemed this effort would fail, but our City team kept fighting to see this lost residential neighborhood reimagined in the heart of our City. Today we are excited to announce a more than $22 million RAISE Grant that ensures that this project to reconnect downtown Burlington will be realized.”
Through public-private partnership, the project will improve roads and sidewalks, create more accessible streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, support new retail opportunities for small businesses, help Vermonters access low-carbon public transit, and build affordable housing. The project will also fund workforce development activities during and after the construction of the project.
The DOT’s RAISE grant program supports infrastructure projects in communities across America, and is a key funding vehicle of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Sen. Welch helped pass as a member of the House of Representatives. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law increased funding of RAISE grant (previously called TIGER grants) by over 50%.
Learn more about the DOT’s RAISE grant program here. Photos from the event can be found below:
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