Bird said he's excited about the residential development going on downtown. He called it a "unique opportunity" for a town like Burlington.
The community currently has several buildings either being renovated, or yet to be built, that will provide downtown residences. Bird said he thinks younger people are looking for apartments downtown, near restaurants and shopping.
Bird said he believes the key to getting people to move downtown is embracing "tourism as economic development."
"When folks really can work from anywhere these days, quality of life, recreation, and tourism are more important than ever. I think expanding our downtown shopping and dining experiences would help with that," Bird said.