The Burnside Blog
Public Market, Zero Subsidy
Public Market backers have argued that Portland needs to a public market to connect us to our past, but let’s for a moment consider something very relevant: the present.
In past few years, hundreds of new restaurants have opened. Restaurateurs and retailers have made strong connections to local sources: farmers, ranchers, fisherman, vintners cheesemakers and other artisans. If there’s anything in Portland that has exploded with very little help from the government purse, it’s the vital PDX food scene, which is now considered to be one of the best in the country.
Foodie ventures are popping up in every neighborhood, and more is on the way. Part of Developer Brad Malsin’s plans for the Old Town neighborhood, which he is jointly redeveloping with the Naito family, is to transform Old Town’s existing alleys into pedestrian corridors that snake between the new and old buildings, and line them with the type of small retail spaces that could accommodate the cheese shops and chocolatiers—like one might find in Lyon or Bilbao’s medieval lanes. Several blocks away on the North Park blocks, a charcuterie and cheese shop is said to be in the works for 2009. Well informed buzz states that Asian grocer Uwajimaya may also set up shop in Old Town.
In today’s A and E, Christina Melander at the Oregonian reports that a private developer is about to set up a public-market style pavilion with 30 stalls in North Portland.
So here’s the question. If private developers are landing public-style markets in Portland neighborhoods without any subsidy what-so-ever (though funds would flow if Old Town is annexed into the River District as planned), is the establishment of a public market a good use of public funds?
By mark on Tuesday, February 05, 2008 at 06:20PM PST
First of all, this is a great blog. Second, I believe the private sector is amply providing investment to support our burgeoning food scene. Hell, I wouldn’t even call it “burgeoning” any more. It’s here. Having lived in New York and having been married to a chef for 11 years, I can attest that Portland is probably in the top five food cities in the whole country. I think that only Seattle, New York, Chicago, Miami and LA compare. What we could really use-
I mean the one thing we don’t have-is a centralized fish market downtown. I mean, we’re how close to the biggest goddamn lake in the world (the Pacific Ocean), and there are very few fishmongers. So in that regard, perhaps the Portland Public Market does have its place. It’s just too bad they’re such a secretive bunch…and out of step with what’s happening in Portland.