Tad Cooke, Erick Crockenberg, Charlie Tipper Credit: Katie Jickling
A team looking to redevelop the Moran Plant presented an updated proposal on Monday at a Burlington City Council meeting. It could finally mean movement on a project that has been plagued by untenable proposals and years of inertia.

The majority of business owners, residents and councilors who testified at the meeting praised a scaled-back plan from New Moran, Inc. Tad Cooke, Erick Crockenberg and Charlie Tipper hope to break ground on the $15.4 million project by the end of 2017. A previous iteration from the same trio had a price tag of $34 million.

First, the group must get approval from the city. The Community and Economic Development Office will spend the next three months reviewing the plan.

A “citywide team” from numerous departments will evaluate the proposal on its financial viability, design, community benefits and other criteria, according to CEDO director Noelle MacKay. We want to “see whether it makes sense for the city,” MacKay said.

The group’s new proposal would house the Burlington Winter Farmers Market on the first floor. Space for community arts space, events and performances would fill the second floor. Outside, the developers envision an ice skating rink, adjacent to the existing skatepark, along with two acres of landscaped grounds.

The project “could and should be a ‘Church Street moment’ for this generation,” said Crockenberg. He called the project a “cultural and economic catalyst” for the city.

A rendering of the New Moran proposal Credit: Courtesy of Lincoln Brown Illustration
New Moran wants to fund the project with $5.8 million in tax-increment financing, along with $2.2 million in federal and state tax credits, and a $1.4 million federal grant, approved in October, “for waterproofing and flood resiliency.”

The group would also seek $6 million in contributions from private donors — down from $11 million in a previous proposal.

MacKay has promised to submit a recommendation to the city council on the viability of the proposal by the end of the first quarter. New Moran would negotiate a development agreement with the city and apply for the necessary permits. Cooke estimated that it would take an additional nine months to raise the necessary $6 million. If all goes as planned, he said, they would begin construction by the end of the year.

Cooke touted the economic impact of the project, as well as the community benefits. But, he added, it’s not about personal profits. “This building really delivers to the community from the beginning,” he said.

Moran Plant’s current state Credit: File photo
The project has been a long time coming — more than a decade, in fact. On Town Meeting Day in 2014, Burlingtonians approved a ballot question allowing the city to demolish the building if the project didn’t come through.

That same year, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with the development team. But the plans to remodel appeared doomed last July, when the city dissolved the MOU with New Moran because of missed fundraising deadlines. The city’s decision meant the group lost exclusive rights to the project.

But when CEDO issued a request for other proposals in September, it received just one by the December deadline — courtesy of New Moran, Inc.

At Monday’s meeting, community stakeholders widely praised the project. Representatives from the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, the Burlington Farmers Market, PC Construction and other local businesses praised the project as well-designed and economically feasible.

New Moran has “reached more broadly and deeply into the community” to address local needs than any other proposed Moran developer, said Mark Naud, executive director of the Community Sailing Center. If the city lets this proposal slip, he added, “we’ll have relinquished an opportunity that we will regret.”

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Katie Jickling is a Seven Days staff writer.

10 replies on “New Moran? Development Group Takes Another Shot at Renovation”

  1. I’m not a resident of Burlington. But I’m down on the waterfront all the time — I’m an avid kayaker and I love the lake. And if I had my way, Burlington would just knock down the Moran Plant and create open space.

    Remember the debate over the Pease Grain Elevator? Turns out, ten years later, no one misses it at all. Please, end the madness and just get rid of the Moran eyesore.

  2. What is really needed there is a tall building full of housing for UVM and Champlain, expensive housing (with a few affordable units in the basement, a parking garage, and some new spaces for stores. Weinberger will get that on a ballot posthaste before the public is even aware.

  3. Firstly, none of the things proposed, an ice-skating rink or others can be done without the Moran Plant in existence. Secondly, what is needed in Burlington and everywhere in the country is affordable housing. It is crucial in our economy that we do this. Tear the plant down and replace it with affordable housing. All of the activities associated with the Moran Plant can be done without it.

  5. It is my hope that this project or something like it does come about.
    I was just in Quebec City and they have re-purposed many old industrial sites down by their waterfront
    The have a funicular that goes up the side of the steep walled city. We could and should do something like that here!
    I would really like to see a chairlift(or something of the sort) from Echo to somewhere up college street – perhaps all the way to the UVM green with a mid- station(perhaps near city hall park), and another chairlift from the Moran up to (or near) Battery park.
    Can you imagine the tourist attraction, as well as the usefulness of such a bold thing to do in our city?
    We have chairlifts all over the state – why not in Burlington?

  6. I am all for it, but have to say, not because of the Farmers Market. Farmers Markets these day are basically craft fairs, with a few farmers participating if you are lucky.. That said, reuse of this building to me makes sense and it is hard to imagine it would not succeed, especially if it were a Pokestop and Gym.

  7. Jordan Davies AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON LAKEFRONT PROPERTY????? iS THAT LIKE ALTERNATIVE FACTS…. seriously. Redevelop it for community and private use- let all enjoy- cause if you turn it into housing- might as well offer trump the penthouse…and yes I am bias to the plant- its in the name and the blood.

  8. What I meant to say earlier was that any of the projects like an ice skating rink can be built even if the Moran plant exists or not.
    As far as affordable housing in Burlington whether on the site of the Moran plant or not is concerned it is essential that it be built. Anybody who rents in Burlington knows this. The old formula of rent being the equal of one quarter of net income is still a good one.

  10. How bout we raze and remove the plant and replace with grass, trees, benches and playground stuff for kids. Remember: every time a building/structure replaces open soil and trees near a body of moving water the water quality is damaged. Every time. Burlington seems hell bent on cramming as much crap as possible into the city while allegedly fretting about cleaning up the lake. Stop stuffing humans vertically into the city and the lake will be very grateful.

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