Portland's Kitchen
Posted by: kmikeym | From: August 3, 2006
City projects take a long time to happen. This is an unfortunate fact of government. The initial call for a riverfront park was sparked by an Oregonian editorial in 1964, and while Tom McCall Waterfront Park development started in late 1971 it wasn't until 1994 that City Council approved a "$40 million park plan for the east bank: a series of piers and docks, a public market, a community center, restaurants, a marsh and even a beach on the narrow strip of riverfront land."
12 years and many city projects later, we're still waiting for our public market. The popularity of the many Farmer's Markets seems to prove the concept, but the politicking about the location continues.
The current Portland Public Market concept was envisioned by former restaurateur Ron Paul, who was one-time Chief of Staff to former City Commissioner Charlie Hales, and is now an official with the city's Bureau of Planning. Ron started championing the project in 1999, and it's hard to find a proposed completion goal but I think the year 2009 has been mentioned.
Frequently referred to as "Portland's Kitchen", the idea is a year round venue showcasing regional food and creating opportunities for local food-related businesses. Ron Paul and the other people behind the public market know that the first question you'll ask is "Why build a Public Market?" especially when we have such terrific farmer's market opportunities. They do a great job answering these questions and laying out the vision on PortlandPublicMarket.com. They include a history of Portland's public markets, mentioning that while we haven't had one in two generations, they have been a fixture of Portland life since the dawn of the city.
Portland's future would certainly be more awesome with the addition of the Public Market, and it's too bad one of the few actions Mayor Tom Potter has taken (other than his "vision quest") is canceling the long-planned relocation of the Central Fire Station. The Central Fire Station, located next to Skidmore Fountain, was going to be moved a few blocks north to a new site, allowing an opportunity for the Public Market to exist in a permanent central location with easy transit access (there was even talk of moving the under-Burnside MAX stop in front of the Public Market). The Central Fire Station location seemed like a done-deal that would spark new development in that whole somewhat-sketchy area, but now other possible locations will have to evaluated and the revitalization of the neighborhood will be no doubt slowed.
An editorial piece in the Oregonian on July 31st about 'the city's kitchen' mentions that Mayor Tom Potter "pulled the plug on the long-planned relocation of the Central Fire Station" which was the perfect location for the Portland Public Market. The editorial goes on to attempt to shame Tom Potter to be the political champion for the Portland Public Market. I'm not sure how effective that tactic will be, especially seeing as Tom Potter doesn't seem to be "champion" material.
The Bizjournal quoted Ron Paul saying "The tipping point for hundreds of millions of dollars in economic growth swings on moving the fire station, and we're at the political crossroads of that decision." Paul also said the fire station decision "is being affected by what I call 'post Tram-atic syndrome'" in that the city is skittish about funding increased public-private project costs similar to the Oregon Health & Science University aerial tram undertaking.
While Tom Potter's ix-nay of the Fire Station relocation is a setback in the Public Market plan, it does have the added benefit of drawing a lot of attention to the plan for the Public Market. As more people hear about the plan, the idea will should gain more traction and snowball into an inevitability as long as it is continually pushed by the people of Portland. The Oregonian's editorial should just be the start of calling on our political leaders to stand up and lead the way to a better Portland. The vision is clear.
To volunteer to help Portland Public Market contact Dale Thomas, to send an encouraging word to Mayor Tom Potter use his website, and to help Tom Potter's visionPDX to include plans for the Public Market you can use this contact form.
here is the link to the Reading Teminal Market. Seriously, that place made my otherwise unbearable tradeshow experience.
http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/
Posted by: robin at August 3, 2006 6:07 PM
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What are some cities that currently have vital Public Markets? I went to Philadelphia recently and was pretty impressed by the Reading Terminal Market. I don't know if that is what is the kind of Public Market you mean. But if it is, it will totally rule.
Posted by: Robin at August 3, 2006 6:04 PM