Episode: 33 - "People, Planet & Profits" with Melinda Moulton

Hippy to Redeveloper

If you’re from the 802, have lived through the 80s, and remember your mother telling you not to cross Battery Street, chances are you’ve heard the legendary stories of Melinda Moulton. She and Lisa Steele helped transform a rat-infested, oil-drummed waterfront into a $30 million redevelopment program. Their 1st attempt at a $100 million dollar deal failed, so they went back to the drawing board.

She shares how she and Lisa started as 2 hippies who helped develop this ambitious project. They spent two years creating a 25-year master plan, went to the City Hall to a packed room to present to the planning commission and the rest is history. Was it easy? Not exactly. She talks about the challenges of being women in the high-stakes game of real estate development, why she prefers to be called a “re-developer,” and the power of naivete. Melinda shares her 3-prong approach to success: People, Planet and Profits.

Main Street Landing gives back to non-profits by co-sponsoring events, (including their very popular Free Movie Tuesdays, Performance and Art Galleries) providing one of the largest collections of Vermont visual artists in the state.

Links to topics in the Conversation:

• To get the free Movie Tuesdays, click HERE
• To learn more about the history of the Burlington Waterfront, click HERE