Redevelopment with a social conscience
Burlington waterfront project highlights environmentally responsible building practices
Published November 9, 2009

By JOY PERRINO CHOQUETTE

Main Street Landing is a focal point on the Burlington waterfront. And, Melinda Moulton is proud of the accolades it has garnered over the past several years.

A greater sense of pride, however, comes from the project’s wide community acceptance and approval, said Moulton, chief executive officer and redeveloper of the project.

“We had to work hard for the past 25 years to earn the trust and respect from the community to do what we did,” said Moulton, who referred to the numerous awards given to Main Street Landing as “the cherry on a hot fudge sundae.”

The waterfront is beautiful today, but it hasn’t always been that way. In the early 1920s, Moulton said, with the advent of the automobile, people turned their backs on the waterfront, which had previously been the main source of transportation and cargo shipment.

“It became a wasteland, really,” said Moulton. The area at that time was crisscrossed with railways and partitioned off with chain link fencing. It also was rife with rats.

That scenario is hard to imagine when looking at the beautiful location. Over the past 20 years, Main Street Landing has created approximately 250,000 square feet of built environment in a green and socially responsible way.

“We were the first people to really create something down here,” Moulton said. “We brought our vision to this landscape.”

That the space was redeveloped in a green, sustainable way is something as commonsense to Moulton as adding butter to bread. It would be hard, if not impossible, for her to imagine completing the project any other way. Lisa Steele, also a redeveloper, has been partnering with Moulton on projects since the early 1980s.

“Both Lisa and I are products of the 60’s, and the 60’s movement was a lot about social justice . . . we were peace activists, social activists,” said Moulton. “When we got into doing the work that we are doing, our values and our morals were very much predicated by social justice and environmental justice.”

Moulton said both she and Steele came to Vermont …

Fri, Dec 18th – Sun, Dec 20th
National Marionette Theater’s Hansel and Gretel
MAIN STREET LANDING PRESENTS
National Marionette Theater’s Hansel and Gretel
Friday – December 18th @ 7 p.m.
Saturday – December 19th @ 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Sunday – December 20th @ 2 p.m.

Tickets available at
http://www.flynntix.org

Tickets $10.00 for adults and $5.00 children
Company: Main Street Landing Presents
Contact: Melinda Moulton
Phone: 802-864-7999
Email: 

NEW VISIONS THAT COMPLEMENT, ENRICH THE BEST OF BURLINGTON

by Melinda Moulton

I have been asked to reflect on what, I believe, Burlington should be a generation from now. Over the years this question has been addressed several times through the public process. That said, the visions, hopes and dreams change from one generation to another, and I applaud the city for once again posing the question to its citizenry.

Certainly in my time helping redevelop the waterfront from 1983 to present day, I have participated in some remarkable visioning studies. Most notably is the 2000 Burlington Legacy Project. It was this report that identified what the citizens wanted Burlington to look like in 30 years. You can read the plan at www.Burlingtonlegacyproject.org.

I believe Burlington has much of what makes a city livable, fun, intimate and vibrant.

Let’s face it, the Queen City is one of the most talked about, revered and imitated great small cities in the country.

Burlington is fortunate to have:

• Committed and devoted activists, citizens, municipal employees and business people who truly care about their city and aren’t shy about sharing their opinions.
• Small and comfortably-scaled beautiful buildings.
• Green spaces, trees, flower gardens, places for people to sit and ponder, and beautiful natural vistas.
• A healthy local economy and unique and special local businesses.
• The Intervale — an agricultural model of sustainability.
• Church Street Marketplace: our award-winning outdoor pedestrian mall.
• College Street Shuttle and CCTA: our public bus system supporting human movement.
• First-class educational institutions and hospital.
• International airport.
• Vibrant and eclectic visual and performing arts community.
• Our waterfront and Lake Champlain.
• A growing diverse population.

My list could go on and on because Burlington has the “best of the best” and has been eulogized time and time again. So what do I think …

GIVING TENANTS A BREAK AT MAIN STREET

It appears there is one Main Street we don’t have to worry about.

Melinda Moulton and Lisa Steele, sustainable redevelopers of the Main Street Landing property on the Burlington Waterfront, found the space in their hearts — and their pockets — to do some good.

Main Street Landing has been involved in environmental and socially-conscious redevelopment since the early 1980s. They have completed over 250,000 square feet of new and renovated space, which includes the Union Station, CornerStone, Wing and Lake & College Buildings.

This past year Main Street Landing waived all of its tenants’ rent and triple net increases for the year in order to help them weather the economic storm. The owners also assisted some of their tenants in downsizing their spaces to help reduce their expenses.

“We wanted to show our …

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s Exciting Exploration of the Fascinating History of Lake Champlain.

Enjoy exciting programs and speakers during the week of July 5-12 in Main Street Landing’s Film House at 60 Lake Street on Burlington’s Waterfront.

Check out this PDF for details.

Main Street Landing chooses Vermont Sustainable Exchange

Main Street Landing has joined Vermont Sustainable Exchange, an online business to business marketplace that allows Vermont businesses to measure, grow, and coordinate their trade with fellow Vermont businesses. Main Street Landing will offer rental space at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center to a growing group of community-minded businesses and non-profits who are strengthening the local economy.

To learn more about Main Street Landing’s Carbon Assessment please click on (or copy and paste in your browser).

http://media.legitify.com/mainstreetlanding/documents/mainstreetlandingcarboninventory.pdf

Melinda Moulton, CEO/Redeveloper of Main Street Landing received the prestigious Terry Ehrich Award for 2008 from Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR). The Terry Ehrich Award is given annually to an individual demonstrating the characteristics for which Terry was so well known – socially responsible business principles in action in the workplace, political, natural and social justice environments.

Check out the new Ron Hernandez Endangered Species Mural at the Lake and College Building. Right outside Skinny Pancake in the Hallway!!

To Read Article on Green Business in Vermont highlighting Main Street Landing
click on www.vermontwoman.com/articles/0408/green_biz.shtml

Main Street Landing has been redeveloping Burlington’s Waterfront since 1983. Melinda Moulton and Lisa Steele have endeavored to listen to the people regarding what was needed and desired on the Waterfront. They have created 230,000 square feet of built environment that houses residents, businesses, restaurants, artists, a daycare center, and non-profits. Their motto is “we create healthy places for people to work and play”. From the very beginning, Melinda & Lisa have instilled strong environmental and socially responsible principles in their work. They have been pioneers in the green building movement. Their buildings are beautiful, healthy, and energy-efficient. “Sustainability isn’t just about the environment”, says Melinda Moulton, CEO/Redeveloper of Main Street Landing, “it is the act of creating an environment …

According to Forbe’s Magazine – Vermont is America’s #1 Greenest State

Click on

http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/16/environment-energy-vermont-biz-beltway-cx_bw_mm_1017greenstates_print.html

for full story!!