A decade later, Burlington’s downtown mall redevelopment opens

After more than a decade of delays and turmoil, the redevelopment of Burlington’s downtown mall — a site that became known derisively as “the pit” — is nearing completion.

The first phase of the Burlington Square project is now open, and includes a 161-room hotel, 53 apartments, a restaurant and a cafe. A second building, which will have about 320 more apartments and another hotel, is slated to be finished in the fall of 2027.

On Wednesday, the developers celebrated the milestone with a ribbon cutting in front of AC Hotel Burlington. Dozens of people attended the event, including former city officials like Mayor Miro Weinberger and city councilors Kurt Wright and Joan Shannon — all of whom spent years pushing for the project.

“I'm calling it a monumental milestone,” said Dave Farrington, one of the developers.“We're not done, but it's a big hurdle that we jumped over.”