BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A new food option is coming to downtown Burlington and it’s not just about attracting foodies. Officials are looking at a new addition to City Hall Park as part of a vision for a safer, more welcoming experience for visitors.
City Hall Park can sometimes be a magnet for illicit and disruptive behaviors. It’s been a spot for frequent drug use, fights, and even camping. Soon it will also be a place for a bite to eat.
“That will be our second location. So, we’re really excited about that. Going back to where we got our start,” said Nurbu Sherpa, who started his business at the Farmers Market years ago. Now, he will operate a food kiosk in the center of the park. “It’s a permanent fixture we’ll be serving our food, our Nepalese momos, beef curry, chicken curry, mango lassi — Hopefully creemees as well. So yeah, we’re really excited.”
In a memo, the city says they believe bringing more visitors to the park helps to create a safer atmosphere where everyone can enjoy the park.
Isaac Dow, the owner of Battery Street Jeans, agrees. “I think it’ll help with the positive atmosphere. It’ll bring more people to the park either way, and I think that’s a good thing. It’s also getting money into the hands of local food business owners,” he said.
Sherpa says they were concerned about disruptive behavior in the park and worked with the city to have cashless payments as a safety precaution. They will be operating year-round.
“We would love to see everyone there can be enjoying Nepalese food, enjoy the City Hall Park. And yeah, that’d be wonderful,” he said.
Concessions in the confines of the park will be a new sight, but not everyone thinks it will be successful in curbing a negative atmosphere. “It may be positive but it doesn’t lessen the negativity,” said Wayne Burke of Barre. “There’s plenty of places to get a drink. I don’t think you need to commercialize the park.”
The city will get a minimum of $10,000 as part of the deal. Sherpa says they will also be donating 3 percent of profits to a nonprofit in the city.