Chittenden County, Vermont Burlington Mayor's Press Conference, 27 Jun 2023

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From YouTube: Burlington Mayor's Press Conference: Champlain Street Park Grant Award Ceremony

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From the Mayor's Office:

Mayor Miro Weinberger with Brian Pine, CEDO Director and President of King St. Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation (KSNRC); Paul Dragon, Executive Director, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity; Sophie Sauvé, Parks Comprehensive Planner, Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront; and Nate Lantieri, Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Commissioner host the Champlain Street Park Grant award ceremony.

6/27/2023

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A

Thank you for joining us today, as we're so excited to receive fifty thousand dollar Hometown Grant from T-Mobile for Champlain Street parks. Revitalization, my name is Sophie survey I'm the parks, comprehensive planner for the City of Burlington, the department of parks, recreation and Waterfront, and my team leads a planning, design and construction of all things parks, and that includes the greenway and cemeteries throughout the city. So we're very, very busy. But we love these moments of fun.

A

More than 600 communities apply for the T-Mobile home Grant in Burlington is the recipient of one of only 25 Awards. That's something that we're super, proud of, and so super excited about for this park.

A

Without the fifty thousand dollars from T-Mobile, we were facing a shortfall to make the plan all the planned upgrades to Champlain Street park. For example. We would likely need to scale Back, The Envision play structure, and we would need to forego concrete pads under the picnic tables which will make them accessible to all. But these funds will help us complete the park as envisioned by the community as we work towards making all of Burlington's playgrounds and Parks accessible. Are parks, more inclusive, welcoming and Equitable spaces.

A

We recognize that Champlain Street Park, a true neighborhood park, is a priority. This project has been The Works since before covid, when we led the first public Outreach events to Garner support for upgrades and asked everyone what they want to see in this park as a key Green Space in this vibrant downtown neighborhood, we have witnessed the excitement for the plan changed its augment as more people provided feedback and lent a hand on a work day held by Civ, oeo and financial support from both cvoeo and the King Street neighborhood. Revitalization Corporation.

A

If it wasn't for kovid, things might have moved faster and things might have been implemented, but it probably would have been a different Park. So we're really excited that what we've proposed is what was really envisioned by the community because, as everybody knows, kovid provided, of course, a lot of grief.

A

But it also reminded everybody that we need our green spaces and a lot more people came out to voice what they want to see in Champlain Street Park having access to Green Space, as we all know, is an invaluable part of fostering healthy, safe and happy communities, and we recognize that South Champlain Street Park is one of those key spaces in Vermont's largest city. We look forward to completing work on the park which has already started.

A

We've cleared some vegetation, we've added in some ornamental fencing and we've also cleared out a lot of brush that was in the park. But what we'll be implementing in the coming months, as the RFP is now out? Is it including new inclusive playground equipment, an accessible pathway throughout the park benches for resting and watching kids in the sunset which we heard a lot about in our Outreach bike, racks Lighting in the back of the park and a new Landscaping?

A

Thank you to all the members of the public Who provided feedback throughout the public Outreach process. It's evident that this community cares about green spaces, about Champlain Street, Park and including everyone in play, giving families a place to play for free and providing a welcoming space for Connection in the community.

A

Thank you to everyone involved in securing the hometown Grant, particularly our project manager, Max matalinski, who can be here today, who managed the whole process grants director, Nicole losh as well as mayor Wayne, Burr, Brian, Pine, director of cedo and representative from the King Street neighborhood revitalization Corporation Paul dragan from Champlain Valley office of Economic Opportunity mentioned as cvoeo, who helped secure additional funds for Champlain, Street Park and Nate lantieri Parks, commissioner, who has been an incredible advocate for this unique Community Park now I'll pass it on to Paul Dragon executive director of Champlain Valley office of Economic Opportunity.

A

Sorry I'm stumbling to highlight his organization's reasons for supporting this project. Thanks Paul.

B

Thank you so much Sophie, it's a long name. The acronym can be tough as well, so I want to thank Sophie and Burlington Parks, so much and Max as well for all their work and their efforts and bringing this park to fruition.

B

I really want to thank the mayor and the city for highlighting small places, something that could be easily overlooked, but so important to our overall community I want to thank T-Mobile so much for the incredibly generous donation for the spark. I just also want to take a moment to thank the Vermont Community Foundation. They provided cvoeo with a small Grant, which we also matched to help Revitalize the park and I'm going to introduce Nate in a moment. Nate I didn't know you were a pox commissioner wow.

B

That's amazing, um yeah Nate's, amazing I'll introduce him in a moment, so Gardens hold very special places in our communities. There are those rare places where people, plants, trees and Wildlife intentionally gather and coexist.

B

Gardens are an anchor to our communities and they should not be seen in isolation to businesses to transportation to the homes we build, but rather they should be seen as a Nexus and a way to tie all those things together. Part of our very important social fabric Gardens bring forward the best of us because they demonstrate hope and possibility in the future and a commitment to an interconnected world.

B

So I feel really deep gratitude for all the folks that came together to provide support for this Garden and I want to introduce Nate, because Nate is a rare, Community leader. He sees the possibility. He sees the future. He sees how important small and beautiful places can be in a complex World he's a real leader in our community and we've been so proud to work with him so introducing late Nate as our next speaker.

C

C

Hello, everyone thank you all for being here, um I'm, going to start with some thank yous again as with many projects, the classic adage of takes a village to raise a barn is definitely true for this little park and that's something. That's really been an important part of the process.

C

Really, since you know, Burlington Parks and Rec started their process in 2019, but you know it goes beyond that both earlier and beyond that today, too, um there's been a history of Neighbors coming together to in various ways, Steward the small public Green Space in this really diverse King and maple neighborhood.

C

That is often overlooked, just because people are doing it not for recognition, but for Community, but to just give a little bit to make something a little bit better for the people around them, and it's so inspiring to me to see that ethos every day continue to be perpetuated in such a positive way.

C

um You know, oftentimes, you can't see the impacts of these small decisions right away, but then you look down the line and you see we're in some place totally different in just a small amount of time.

C

So I don't know if many of you spent much time in the Champlain Street Park prior to the redesign in 2019, but it was a space that was definitely in need of some love, um but it was a very special and important Place, regardless and I want to talk a little bit about Place making and the importance of place with the rest of my time and talk about our neighborhood.

C

So myself, I'm, a member of the king of maple neighborhood, it's one of the distinct defined neighborhoods within Burlington, but it's one that's often kind of overlooked in terms of its importance. It's it's one of the most urban communities in the state, most densely populated and the most diverse, racially and economically.

C

Despite that, many people look right past it as a neighborhood, despite its distinct differences from the south end the downtown the Waterfront. Yet it still persists, as originally A working class neighborhood in the early 1800s. It still maintains its roots as a place for working class members to live and Thrive with their family and their Community.

C

um That's not to say it's without its problems. All communities have their problems and ours is feeling an impact right now of some really major trends.

C

We all know them. You know the impacts of the pandemic, the impacts of our other pandemic in the opioid crisis rise and cross cost of housing, Rising impacts of climate change. All these things are acutely felt in our neighborhood daily I, see them daily, I feel them daily. I talk to my neighbors about the way that they are impact them daily.

C

We can't undo that all today tomorrow in our park, but we can one step at a time move in a better Direction and I want to thank everybody, who's recognized that and met a part of that. You know the folks from cvoeo for their sponsorship, the folks at parks and rec. You know Max and Sophie, and all the amazing folks over there in the department and on the commission, the mayor's office and cedo and the King Street revitalization Corporation.

C

You know for coming in and being a part of this, and you know recognizing that it's a small space and we're making a small difference, but the impact can be so much greater than that if we want it to be so, that's all and I also want to say thank you very much to T-Mobile for this opportunity. You know it doesn't come around that often that we can, uh you know, move into a place where these small spaces are supported, the way that they uh they can be. So.

C

Thank you all and thank you all for being here and I hope to see you all in the park, for you know a free meal or just some time in the grass sometime soon. So with that, um it's my pleasure to introduce our City's mayor mayor, Muriel, Weinberger,.

D

Well, good afternoon, everyone thank you, Nate! Thank you for your service on the The Parks Commission and um uh you know I'm gonna take some more people in a moment, but I do just want to start off by saying this is a very exciting project.

D

It's very exciting to be here with, with all of you um a lot in this to be appreciative and excited about the uh we've had a real focus on on playground, Redevelopment over the last 11 plus years now, uh I believe when we, when this playground is done talking to Sophie, you know I hope. If we've got our facts right dating back to the state of the city, we can get this one done as well as the oak ledge playground, which is currently under construction.

D

That'll, be eight uh revitalized playgrounds over the last 11 years, and this is one that I, you know, I think a lot of people will be surprised even there, given the way it was neglected in the past, and it's uh it's going to be a really great space.

D

I do agree with comments about the importance of the king in Maple neighborhood and it's probably the neighborhood, where we have had the greatest degree of public investment, public infrastructure investment in various types over the last in recent years, when you think about what was done on St Paul Street, just off of on both sides of King, when you think about all the investment that's gone on with the water line Redevelopment and you know, but a lot of sort of core infrastructure investment.

D

It is great to see something that is very visible and then it's about the enjoyment of the neighborhood that the kids in particular neighborhood can appreciate. So um thank you to T-Mobile for for being part of this, you know I I, you know. Normally we like to think here in Burlington that we are a small City that punches above our weight class.

D

uh You know we're usually about to like project how we really are larger than a place of forty five thousand for today, for fifty thousand dollars to be a you know, considered a small town is okay, we'll we'll take it uh uh for today. Thank you for recognizing the importance of smaller uh communities and making investments in them. We appreciate the partnership. Thank you Sophie and the rest Max, the rest of the parks team for making this happen and I want to I think she was here before. Oh there. She is Nicole.

D

I want to note this as a another win for our new grant. Writing team that um you know: I I, love that we're thinking we're gonna have another announcement later later this week and if you could really assign that you are and the team is sort of going after opportunities of all sizes, and it's it's very exciting that that is is working so um with that um I.

D

uh You know: I also welcome uh Brian Pine aceto team, and it's interesting to note that this uh that this is made part and possible by an old pseudo uh initiative. A Community Development, Corporation, I, didn't even know, existed before this event shows the sort of long-term impacts of cedo's work. Thank you to cboeo, thanks for your partnership on this and so many other areas, and with that I think we are are ready to hand to you know to welcome the the actual main event here. So welcome.

E

I am not a public speaker, but thank you all. My name is Sean Fitzgerald I'm excited to be representing uh T-Mobile and the team of New England, T-Mobile uh and part of our hometown's uh grant program and the recipient of uh City of Burlington. um It's we do. These we've been doing these for two years now uh we have now 200 small communities and cities and towns throughout America that have been award recipients.

E

We award uh 25 every quarter, and this will continue as part of our 25 million dollar investment over the next five years, and it's so cool to be part of this park. Revitalization project at Champlain, Street Park and uh with our funding helping to supply playground, equipment, accessible playground equipment is awesome, I'm, so glad to be part of this project, and uh thank you very much and we'll have further to do. Let's, let's get the check out and.

E