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April 26, 2011 in City
Spokane Public Market grows
End of May opening planned for year-round site
Construction worker Mark Ferguson works on framing Monday for the Spokane Public Market. The market, scheduled to open in late May, promises to be a year-round educational and cultural center where the public can buy directly from farmers, artisans and food producers.
(Full-size photo)
If downtown commuters passing through one of Spokane’s busiest corridors see only a large nondescript single-story building, it’s only because they lack the vision of those promoting the Spokane Public Market.
Renovation of the building at 23 W. Second Ave. is well under way, but board members officially launched the project on Monday at a ribbon-cutting – make that a wall-busting – ceremony attended by Mayor Mary Verner.
“Move over Seattle,” said Verner, “we are creating a regional draw here.”
She said the market is part of a community initiative to revitalize the city’s gateway at the Division Street exit of Interstate 90 and will one day rival the Pike Place Market.
Where the casual observer sees bare concrete floors and unfinished rooms, board members envision “a regional year-round public market as an educational and cultural center … where farmers, artisans, and value-added food producers can sell directly to the public,” according to the Spokane Public Market website.
Executive director John Hancock said the indoor market will open late next month and remain open year-round.
The timing appears optimistic, but no more so than the fundraising challenge that will make the project’s permanence possible. Over the years, several markets have come and gone in Spokane.
Hancock said the current endeavor has raised $350,000 toward the $800,000 price for completion of the first half of the project. Supporters hope to raise another $400,000 by July.
The total cost of renovating and purchasing the 21,000-square-foot warehouse owned and developed by Pacific Bridge and once occupied by Roses & More will cost about $2 million, Hancock said.
The goal is to provide a venue for people “to buy local,” stimulating the agricultural economy and making the food supply more durable while attracting 300,000 visitors a year, he said.
So far, the market has signed about 33 of the 100 vendors it hopes to attract, said board member Wayne McMorris, a former Kettle Falls orchardist and father of U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
He said in the beginning the market will be open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Committed vendors include Fussy Hen Flower and Herb Farm, featuring organically grown plants and handmade crafts; Pleasant Valley Plant Farm, a Lincoln County nursery; and Quail Ridge Ranch and Harvey Creek Boer Goats, purveyor of frozen goat meat and fresh baked goods.
“Everything here will be locally made and produced,” McMorris boasted. “There will be no stuff from China being resold here.”
The market also has signed vendors of cooked foods, including Mexican, Mediterranean, Asian and, of course, American.
Among the vendors is Kevin Tunison, a Seven Mile farmer who hopes to sell his USDA-inspected pork, lamb and chicken year-round.
“The idea here is fresh, from flowers to meat to veggies,” said Tunison, who also sells his products seasonally at the outdoor Spokane Farmer’s Market at 10 W. Fifth Ave. Tunison said he intends to maintain booths at both sites.
But the new market is not without its skeptics.
“As far as having a local produce-based market that can sustain itself throughout the year, it will be difficult,” said Timothy Pellow, of Tolstoy Farms near Davenport and an organizer of the less ambitious Spokane Farmer’s Market for the past 13 years.
The Spokane Farmer’s Market is successful, Pellow said, because it’s open only two days a week in the mornings and only for half a year. This gives local farmers the opportunity to sell fresh produce as it’s available and still provides them the time to actually farm.
There is also the difference in rates charged vendors for space in the apparently competing venues.
Pellow said the outdoor Spokane Farmer’s Market charges a $20 annual membership fee, then 4 percent of sales with a $20 minimum and a $45 maximum.
McMorris said the indoor public market will charge vendors a $50 membership fee and 8 percent of daily sales revenue, with a $35 minimum and a $75 maximum.
Pellow said his was an authentic farmer’s market.
“If you have a building that is going to cost $2 million to $2.5 million dollars, plus taxes, utilities, maintenance and management costs, you are going to have to focus on things that don’t involve farmers,” he said.
Rights panel poorly understood 
jimvw2 on April 26 at 7:10 a.m.
And let’s not forget Fresh Abundance and the PEACH farm as well as Green Bluff direct farm sales. There is room in the market for all local growers IF they work together on a combined marketing and consumer education program about the need for safe, healthy and affordable local food.
All the pieces are here for a resilient local organicf food supply. Maybe all we need is a litle less chest thumping and purist conceits and a little more willingness to see a bigger picture and the potential for all growers and customers to benefit.
A year-round location is a good start.
johnclarke on April 26 at 7:22 a.m.
Why do we have to compare to or “rival” Seattle? That is never going to happen because the Pike Place Market is a landmark and features a stunning view. I really don’t have any desire to be “like” Seattle, and would appreciate a little original thinking.
I wish the market luck - I agree with Mr. Pellow. Having to support labor costs associated with these kind of hours might prove to be daunting to small operators. We are going to now have two markets? I’m so confused. Mary Verner confuses me. If she wants to improve anything, I’d start with the roads. Spokane looks like a 3rd world country.
DickAdams on April 26 at 7:45 a.m.
Mary Verner as usual is looking for a photo op. I thought a strong mayors job was to work, not kissing new born babies, or cutting ribbons at flea markets? The city of Spokane needs to return to a manager form of government. We need somebody with the credentials to run our corporation with a safety net to prohibit sell out people from being appointed. My observation re Verner, is she is traveling all over the country instead of rolling up her selves and doing her job. Verner lets her managers make all major decisions. Good or bad. Talk about incompetence. Verner sure fits the mold.
westerly on April 26 at 7:48 a.m.
Great… it will be Spokane style only. Verner has never been outside her box..Spokane. It will never rival Pike Market. Pike Market is framed in by beautiful Puget Sound waters, and the snow capped Olympic Mountains to the west. And..the stair climb down to the waterfront. Pike is quite a bit larger also…almost 19 acres it sits on, and 200 permanent business, 100 farmers, 20 street performers, hundreds of craft persons etc. And….much better roads to get there!
greenlibertarian on April 26 at 8:25 a.m.
Pellow of Tolstoy Farms is correct in identifying onerous costs associated with the marketing of relatively low margin products. This has been a problem local “sustainable” farmers have attempted to deal with for a long time now with not much success.
philipgregory on April 26 at 8:35 a.m.
“Move over Seattle,” said Verner, “we are creating a regional draw here.”
That’s just pathetic…
philipgregory on April 26 at 8:39 a.m.
It has a ‘board’ and an ‘executive’ director (meaning other directors also?).
Oh yeh, this is bound to succeed.
dkap on April 26 at 9:51 a.m.
What a bunch of Negative Nancy’s! It’s pretty easy to sit on your computer and criticize everyone’s efforts.
ManleyPointer on April 26 at 10:30 a.m.
If the demand is there, this venture will be successful. I didn’t see any mention of public money being invested, which to me is a good thing. I do agree with people who worry about the cost to the sellers (there was no mention of all the state and local taxes, payroll taxes, etc. they will have to pay), but again, if the demand exists for this type of market, it will work. I like the idea.
My first response to reading the story was identical to Mr. Clarke’s; i.e., that there is no way this can or should compete with Pike Place Market, given the latter’s setting, history and proximity to vast populations. I too get tired of this constant comparison to Seattle. Why can’t we just have our own market, develop our own identity?
johnclarke on April 26 at 11:28 a.m.
MP yes, this is my point. Spokane is a very special place and has a quality of life that I find vastly superior to Seattle. I certainly wish the market well, and will get down there to spend some money.
However, when I compare Spokane to say - Boise, the contrast is stunning. Boise is literally spotless with perfect streets. Spokane’s infrastucture is crumbling. I have been told by an amigo with CVB that they have to be very careful to only drive on certain streets when conducting tours. I really wish our elected leaders would tackle this problem once and for all. I don’t expect much for my taxes ( that way I’m never disappointed) but decent roads are one of the things we pay for. Fix it lady.
de3 on April 26 at 11:53 a.m.
I wish them luck with their project. I am sure it will evolve over time if the business model does not work out.
More info on the backers can be found at the group’s web site
http://www.spokanepublicmarket.org/documents/JOB_12-24-09.pdf
Some one asked about tax money - all it says is they hope to take advantage of some “tax incentives” in regards to the development.
Byrdie714 on April 26 at 12:24 p.m.
I think the market is a good idea. However I just think it’s pathetic that we are comparing it to the Pike Place Market.
Mayor Verner—get over it—there is and always will be no comparision.
The only thing I would like to see stressed with this market is the abundance of farmer’s selling their organic foods instead of some tourist crap trap which the Pike Place Market is.
spokanestarlite on April 26 at 1:26 p.m.
Very excited about the Spokane Public Market. I also like that both a McMorris and Mayor Verner are behind it. Bipartisan team work to improve the local economy is a breath of much needed fresh air.
selkirks on April 26 at 6:03 p.m.
Why the heck are responses to this so negative?!
You can’t seriously think that Verner was being serious. There’s no way that anyone—ever—could think that this would be close. Mary Verner is not an idiot. She does run a city and deserves at least some respect.
That said, I do think the Spokane Public Market will compare favorably in time to Seattle’s. Of course, given our location as farther inland and our reputation as being slightly less “connected,” we will never truly compare, but I think that it’s a good first step. I love the concept, and the plans that I have seen look very good. I think that they are destined for success.
spokanestarlite on April 26 at 7:31 p.m.
Well said Selkirks.
Spokane_Citizen on April 26 at 9:42 p.m.
Well, we’ve got aggressive panhandlers and street bums that rival anything the Emerald City’s Pike Street can field…and that’s a pretty good start! No Salmon, but maybe we can contract to have somebody throw carp around!