
Downtown Burlington is experiencing a surge of development, with a total of 160 new residential units and about 49,000 square feet of new commercial and retail space expected to be completed by the summer of 2022.
“There’s all kinds of exciting opportunities to have big city living in a small town,” Burlington Mayor Jon Billups said. “Back in the ’80s, when we were going through those hard recessions, this is what we envisioned downtown becoming, and I’m glad I’m able to see it realized. We have restaurants and bars downtown, we have niche retailers, and now upper story development. It’s a pretty heady time for downtown Burlington.”
Burlington’s downtown area has attracted developers from Cedar Falls, Davenport and Des Moines drawn to the area for its scenic views, historic value, businesses and restaurants, as well as housing studies that show a need for additional housing.