Molly Lambert

Molly Lambert, Secretary Of Commerce & Community Development, State Of Vermont, June, 2002

Almost every Saturday, I give my neighbor – an older woman, a good friend – a call. I tell her that I am headed off to downtown and ask if there is anything she needs. And so I begin my weekly reconnection with the wonderful place where I live. A place that certainly has everything I need.

I love my walks up Church Street. I say hi to people I've known for years and some that just catch my eye for the first time. I usually stop by one of my favorite eateries for a snack, do a little banking, maybe purchase some flowers to brighten a gray day, find the book that I've been dying to read and get a gift for the next wedding. Finally I head home energized by the vitality of a four-block public space unlike any other.

For 139,000 people in Chittenden County – 25 percent of Vermont's population – there is only one downtown. There is only one place with the architectural, civic and historic significance of Church Street. There is only one place where people gather for commercial and social purposes, unencumbered by walls, physical appearance or economic status, seven days a week. That place is the Church Street Marketplace.

I brought my passion for downtowns with me when I became Secretary of Commerce and Community Development. And it's a good thing because the economics of downtowns are very important to this state. Fifteen to 20 percent of all the state's sales, rooms and meals, income and property taxes are generated in our downtowns. Similar percentages of people live and work in our downtowns. These statistics are true for downtown Burlington as well.

Those of you who have invested time, energy and money in the vitality of the Church Street Marketplace during the last two decades know that while those statistics are important, the real importance of this success is about the people who enjoy this public space. It's about Jason and Bryan who pass through after school most days to see “what's up.” It's about Frank and Ellen who live in Cathedral Square and walk to downtown every morning to have a cup of coffee and chat with friends at the local diner. It's about Karen and Phil who stroll the street each weekend with their five-month old in a backpack simply to feel connected to the friends and neighbors who live in their part of Vermont. It's about Lee, Henry and Bob who regularly greet visitors to the Marketplace as if they own it. Together these people and this street symbolize the spirit of Burlington.

So what does the future hold for one of America's greatest Main Streets? Well the best Main Streets will blend new retail, entertainment and employment opportunities with a place where people want to live, meet and play surrounded by exquisite reminders of the generations that were there before them. The Church Street Marketplace is that Main Street. Whether it's for retail, recreation, entertainment, living or working – it is the hip destination. Constant attention to its appearance, its promotion and its connection to the members of the community will ensure a successful evolution for many more decades to come.

What a remarkable gift the Church Street Marketplace has been and will be to the civic health and economic vitality of Burlington, Chittenden County and the State of Vermont! Thank you to all who have had any part in this striking success. Here's to twenty more years of success!