What’s next for the FRAME?

Open since late 2022, the FRAME has quickly become a popular spot on the Burlington waterfront for visitors and locals alike. Designed as an ever-evolving public space, the FRAME has hosted family-friendly events, provided a background for art installations, and helped establish Waterworks Park as a community hub for outdoor activities.

But this is just the beginning.

In 2023 the City of Burlington assembled an all-star team of designers to develop a bold new vision for the FRAME. The Phase 2 design, developed with input from over 500 local residents and multiple community organizations, seeks to transform the site into a one-of-a-kind destination of national prominence.

Community listening sessions revealed that Burlington residents were interested in concerts and performances, elevated and accessible views, markets, four-season recreation, and public art.  Each of these elements was incorporated into the final design, which makes full use of the site beyond the FRAME itself.

Among the plan’s many highlights:

–  A series of elevated paths allow accessible and safe entry for hundreds of visitors to new platforms on the steel structure’s second and third levels

–  A row of covered bays at ground level create temporary or seasonal commercial spaces for vendors of all kinds.

–  A skating ribbon will wind around the FRAME and throughout the park, offering opportunities for year-round recreation.

–  A series of new sloped landforms will create a half-acre bowl at the center of the site, allowing for staged events of up to 2,000 people.

–  On the waterfront, a revitalized boardwalk and pier will create a more inviting edge to enjoy views of Lake Champlain.

This bold vision for the FRAME was revealed in early February at the Burlington City Arts’ Firehouse Gallery by design lead Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.  It will be used to guide future improvements to the park, which will be implemented over several years. The design was developed in partnership with several national firms including Utile, Domingo Gonzalez Associates, and Altieri Sebor Wieber as well as local experts SE Group, Engineering Ventures, and Freeman French Freeman.

More information on Phase 2 can be found at the Friends of the Frame and MVVA websites.