By Kolby LaMarche

A longtime Burlington developer is proposing to repurpose the former Macy’s department store building in downtown Burlington as an Amazon warehouse facility, now that Burlington High School has completed its five-year tenure in the space and moved to a new campus.

Don Sinex, who has been deeply involved in the redevelopment of the City Place (now known as Burlington Square), remains the majority owner of the former Macy’s property. 

He has indicated that the large building could accommodate a variety of uses and has specifically reached out to Amazon about the possibility of a distribution or delivery facility there.

The suggestion comes at a transitional moment for the prominent downtown site and surrounding area. 

Macy’s closed its Burlington location in March 2018 after years as the anchor department store in the Burlington Town Center mall. The closure was part of a broader wave of Macy’s store reductions nationwide amid shifting retail trends. 

At the time, local shoppers expressed concern about the loss of a key downtown retail draw.

The building, which had operated as a Macy’s for roughly two decades, sat largely vacant for several years following the closure. 

Its history as a retail space traces back to the late 1990s when it was constructed or significantly adapted as part of the mall complex. The now-closed downtown mall itself opened in the 1970s, evolving over time with the pedestrianization of Church Street and efforts to maintain a vibrant downtown shopping district.

In late 2020 and early 2021, the former Macy’s gained new life as a temporary home for Burlington High School. The original BHS campus on the edge of downtown had to be evacuated due to the discovery of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic industrial chemicals, in the building and surrounding soil during planned renovations. 

The school district invested in adapting the department store space, which featured open floors, escalators, and Mayc’s white tile flooring, and almost no windows. 

Students and staff began using the downtown Macy’s location in March 2021. For the next five years, it served as Burlington High School’s home while a new permanent facility was constructed. 

The setup drew national attention, with national and international media reporting on the novelty of attending classes in a former department store complete with remnants of its retail past. 

Librarians and teachers recounted quirky challenges, such as malfunctioning escalators, but the community largely adapted to the temporary arrangement.

By June 2026, Burlington High School had graduated its final class from the Macy’s building and transitioned to its new campus. The departure left the substantial downtown property available once again, prompting Sinex to explore the aforementioned Amazon option.

Amazon has expanded its footprint in the Northeast, including purchases and proposals in nearby areas like Champlain, New York. Earlier attempts to site an Amazon facility in Essex, Vermont, faced local opposition and were ultimately rejected over concerns including traffic, noise, and community fit.

City officials have noted that current zoning in the area could potentially accommodate such a use, though significant hurdles remain. 

Traffic impacts in the already busy downtown core, parking demands, and compatibility with surrounding residential and commercial neighborhoods would require careful review. Any major redevelopment would likely involve coordination with city planning processes, environmental assessments, and community input.

For Burlington residents, the building has symbolized both loss and adaptation – similar to the Memorial Auditorium. 

Its time as a high school demonstrated the city’s ability to improvise solutions during a public health and infrastructure crisis. Now, the discussion around an Amazon facility raises questions about economic development priorities: jobs and logistics activity versus preserving the character of a pedestrian-friendly downtown.

Supporters of a potential warehouse, like some Essex residents did – point to potential good employment opportunities and the activation of a long-underutilized property. 

Critics argue it could raise issues of increased truck traffic near Church Street, impacts on nearby housing, and whether a large distribution center aligns with Burlington’s vision for a vibrant, walkable urban core. 

As of mid-June 2026, no formal application has been submitted for the Amazon proposal, and discussions remain preliminary.