Supreme Court decision issued on possible demolition of Burlington church. What's next?

Sydney P. Hakes, Burlington Free Press
Updated ·1 min read
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The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that Burlington's former Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception can be torn down. The building has sat empty since 2018 when the trust could no longer afford to maintain it. The question of what to do with the building has been a contentious issue ever since.

The building has become an eyesore, especially tainting the downtown area located a block from Church Street, and right next to the bus station. Visitors are welcomed into the city with a view of wire fences, graffiti and trash that litters the property.

The Burlington Development Review Board issued a permit in January 2023 to tear down the cathedral, a move the trust said would deconsecrate – transfer from sacred to secular use – the property for future use. City officials said they had to grant the permit because state law limits zoning review on houses of worship.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception sits between Cherry Street and Pine Street in Burlington. The building has sat vacant and vandalized since 2018.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception sits between Cherry Street and Pine Street in Burlington. The building has sat vacant and vandalized since 2018.

However, preservationists have fought to keep the almost 50-year-old building standing, leading them to sue the parish, alleging that "the zoning law is unconstitutional because it affords special treatment to religious buildings over secular ones."

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The Supreme Court disagreed this past week, issuing a ruling in favor of the demolition, stating that a lower court properly interpreted state law that prohibits local zoning rules from interfering with the use of religious buildings.

The ruling states that it is within the trust's rights to demolish the property to deconsecrate it, as long as they are not demolishing on behalf of future buyers.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception sits between Cherry Street and Pine Street in Burlington. The building has sat vacant and vandalized since 2018.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception sits between Cherry Street and Pine Street in Burlington. The building has sat vacant and vandalized since 2018.

They also denied the request of the preservationists to know the identity of potential buyers, stating that future development matters are unrelated to the case.

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: VT Supreme Court decision allows one to demolish Burlington church