Burlington, VT After a 35-year absence, downtown Burlington residents and businesses will be able to shop at a locally owned hardware store.  City Hardware, co-owned by Gordon & Debbie Winters, will open soon ½ block west of Church St. The store is a member of the national Ace cooperative and will occupy over 4,000 s/f on College St. across from City Hall Park. 

Jeff Nick and David Curley of NAI/J.L. Davis Realty assisted both the Winters and the landlord, Grandview Farms, Inc. Chris Mason of Champlain Industries is the general contractor for the landlord, while Bob Duncan of Duncan Wisniewski Architects serves as the project’s architect.

In order to prepare the space for the hardware store, much work had to be done to convert the former office space to retail, including a new, ADA-compliant entrance with a complete regrading of the sidewalk.

The addition of a hardware store to downtown’s shopping district will help solidify the diversity of retailers within Burlington’s Core. Burlington’s mayor Miro Weinberger, the CEDO office and the Department of Public Works were critical partners in making this project happen and demonstrated their desire to bring back a hardware store to the central business district. 

A grand opening is scheduled for mid-January.

Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace, which is celebrating its 38th year, supports a mix of both local and national retailers, cafés and nightclubs, theaters, and renowned dining providing marketplace shoppers a unique experience. The 300,000 s/f pedestrian mall annually draws over 3 million local shoppers, college students, and tourist crowds alike. Additionally, from April through October the Marketplace hosts over 26 outdoor cafés. Downtown Burlington now offers four hotels offering a total of 683 guest rooms, including the 125 room Hotel Vermont, and the Hilton Garden Inn.

NAI/J.L. Davis Realty also assisted in the two most recent Church St. leases. Tribe Eyewar leased space at 32 Church St. and Pokeworks leased space at 40 Church St.  David Curley of NAI/J.L. Davis Realty represented the landlord and directly procured the tenant.

Moving forward, local business leaders, with the support of The Church Street Marketplace Commission, the Burlington Business Association, and elected officials, including Burlington’s mayor, are looking into ways to expand the marketplace experience by broadening its boundaries down adjacent side streets and potentially to Lake Champlain’s waterfront.