A historic synagogue in Burlington's Old North End has a new owner.

The congregation of Ahavath Gerim sold the property, located at 168 Archibald Street, in June to a local entrepreneur who plans to convert it into a food hall and several apartments. The structure is the oldest known Jewish building of worship in Vermont.

Burlington resident Kitter Spater purchased the property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, for $300,000 and is now working to restore it. Pomerleau Real Estate initially listed the synagogue for $650,000 in 2021. But because of structural issues and the length of time it was on the market, the sellers were willing to slash the price by more than half, Spater said in an interview last week.
Spater – who cofounded and sold dog-gear company Kurgo and recently started Sloggn Gear, which makes vehicle travel racks — said it's been his lifelong dream to rehab an old, storied building and "be a part of history." He intends to turn the main sanctuary and balcony of the building into an incubator for six to eight small food vendors, a concept he described as "Faneuil Hall meets food trucks." He said he envisions it as a place where families can gather and a way to breathe new life into the Old North End. In the evenings, he hopes to create a more "adult-oriented" space, with a bar and live music.

He also plans to build several apartments in the basement and house his office in the building, pending city approval to rezone the space for mixed use.



But first, Spater has a long to-do list. That includes repairing structural damage to the brick building's foundation, walls and roof, and figuring out how to salvage some of the original design elements, such as a stamped-tin ceiling.

That work has been "daunting at times" but also a lot of fun, Spater said: "My dream has not faded yet."

He's also working with historic preservationists and leaders of Ohavi Zedek, the synagogue on North Prospect Street, to make sure that Ahavath Gerim's religious relics are preserved.

This summer, master craftsman Ray O'Connor painstakingly extracted a 13-foot, built-in copper ark that housed Torah scrolls and brought it to Ohavi Zedek, where it will eventually be installed into one of the synagogue's sanctuaries.

With the permission of Ahavath Gerim's board, Ohavi Zedek also took possession of a lectern, several pews and a bema, or raised platform from which the Torah is read.

Ohavi Zedek's president, Jeff Potash, said he is delighted that his synagogue has been able to acquire some of Ahavath Gerim's storied treasures. He likened it to Ohavi Zedek's acquisition of the Lost Mural, which was painted in the sanctuary of Chai Adam Synagogue in 1910 and installed in Ohavi Zedek's entryway last year. Eventually, Ohavi Zedek hopes to create an on-site museum that celebrates the Old North End's rich Jewish history.