WSLS Exclusive: Proposal to redesign Roanoke City Market

WSLS News Staff
Published: May 21, 2008

A WSLS exclusive.  10 On Your Side has obtained a copy of a proposal to transform the downtown Roanoke City Market building, from a non-profit group based in New York.

The proposal from the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) contains several diagrams for the market building.  You can view them through the links below:

Diagram 1 - Market Building Redesign

Diagram 2 - Weekday Setup

Diagram 3 - Festival setup

PPS sent a memo to the Greater Roanoke Valley Development Foundation and Roanoke Valley Development Corporation, about the concept plan for the City Market building.  In the memo, PPS describes the market building as a resource that has “enormous potential waiting to be rekindled.“

PPS listed these as the proposed goals of the revitalization program:

• Re-establish the historic food focus of the City Market, expanding the potential for the local food economy and for locally-owned and operated businesses
• Build on the growth of the existing outdoor market and link the outdoor market activities directly to the market building
• Leverage the market as a catalyst for downtown revitalization and as a venue for promoting community health and economic development
• Expand the food buying opportunities for the Roanoke region, especially downtown residents
• Support affordable, entry level businesses, especially for low income and immigrant entrepreneurs, and help existing businesses grow and mature
• Restore the historic character of the City Market building, and make full use of all its facilities, including the third floor public hall
• Make Market Square a usable, active public space that enhances the visibility of Center in the Square and becomes a venue for a wide range of public events
• Achieve financial self-sufficiency after three years

The City Market Building

PPS believes a proposed expansion of food and retail space is feasible in today’s Roanoke market.

PPS proposes concentrating fresh and prepared foods in the central area of the market, put restaurants and stores on the corners, and leave the arcades along Wall Street and Market Street for farmers, day stalls, and crafts.  PPS adds that the arcades could also be used by tenant who need larger spaces.

PPS recommends removing most of the mezzanine level within the central area of the market.  That would leave a balcony on either end, with temporary seating and bathrooms.  For the corner spaces, PPS thinks stores and restaurants could use them, with the exception of the northern corner on Salem Avenue which is used for storage.

PPS wants to retrofit the second floor as an event space for dinners, meetings, concerts, specialty markets, and other “mid-sized public gatherings.“  PPS says this retrofitting will require installing a catering kitchen, a new service elevator, and creating a an improved lobby/pre-event area.

Outside the City Market building

PPS wants a better link to the City Market itself.  PPS recommends moving some of the existing vending on Market Square to around the City Market building, as well as create a uniform and flexible paving surface for market activities and public events.

PPS also wants to remove a portion of the existing market canopy, and design a new one to “announce the entrance” to Center in the Square.

PPS also proposes adding a few trees, but only enough that would leave the Market Square flexible for events.

For the area opposite the Market Square, PPS thinks an expanded café area would work, as long as it leaves the space flexible for market vendors and events.

PPS highlights the need for pro-active management to make sure the Market Square is kept active and attractive in its proposal.

Existing outdoor market

PPS does not propose any other changes to the outdoor market location that are not already mentioned for the Market Square area.

Salem Avenue “lawn”

PPS wants to make the space a part of the “programming” of the Market Square, since the new art museum will make it much more visible in the future.  PPS thinks store space next to the lawn could be converted to a restaurant or brew pub with outdoor seating.

Store and Restaurant plan

PPS says it wants to evolve the City Market building from a food court, into a market that has more fresh foods and locally produced products.  PPS believes this will improve the overall market experience, and brand the market as a major attraction.  This would include what PPS calls a strategy to “hybridize the food court tenants.“  PPS explains for current vendors, this would involve adding a line of retail products and help redesigning their space so they look like market stalls, and not a food court.  PPS believes this will help vendors increase sales beyond lunchtime hours.

PPS says it’s proposal provides much more “frontage” for stores and restaurants to display their items, and allows customers to have a more personal experience when “shopping the market.“  This would include establishing a “tenant design criteria,“ to specify what can and can not be done within their leased spaces.

PPS also highlights the benefits that temporary “daystall” tenants can bring both for businesses and customers.

PPS thinks the Market needs to recruit new tenants that will be primarily fresh food market type tenants.  The group recommends that the new tenants be located in the central market area, towards Campbell Avenue.  PPS says this will help create the impression in shoppers’ minds of an “actively merchandised market,“ and not a food court.  PPS suggests the new tenants be encouraged to do something at the stall, like cook, bake, roast, or assemble, where shoppers can see.  PPS believes this will make it a more memorable experience, and stimulate conversation.

PPS believe four or five larger fresh food stalls would work better than many small ones.

PPS suggests these types of vendors to target for new tenants:

• Produce and Flowers - Produce is generally the number one item in successful markets - and we see this as an opportunity in the City Market.  This is an essential anchor tenant to re-establish City Market as a classic destination. Abundant, colorful and informal displays are what people expect and produce is easy to work with, although it does take solid merchandising skills.
• Cheese Shop - Cheese has long shelf life and is something people will buy ‘on the spot’.  It looks great and there are many stories to tell about the different cheeses.  Any good cheese shop has a larger product line including crackers, spreads, condiments and specialty items.  This tenant could also sell lunch items such as sandwiches.
• Bakery - An on-site bakery would be a strong anchor for the market.  We recommend a scratch baker that can produce on site, adding eye and nose appeal in the central market. Lunch items could also be sold using their own breads and products.
• Coffee, Tea, Spices - Ideally, someone roasting on site would be the best tenant.  There is a huge product line in this category and it shows very well in a market.  These products have a long shelf life and will have appeal across the different customer categories in downtown Roanoke.
• Deli - This is an ideal category to ‘hybridize’ lunch and fresh products.  Perhaps one of the existing tenants would be interested in doing this.
• Ethnic Foods - People hope to find unusual foods and ingredients (as well as the familiar) at a market.  The City Market should make a point to reach out to recent immigrants and ethnic groups who can share their cuisine and culture with a wider audience.  These operations can combine fresh foods with prepared foods - i.e. a Mexican stall could sell chiles, quesos, salsas as well as tamales, enchiladas, etc.
• Diversify Farmers Market Vendor’s Products: The creation of the new arcades provide an opportunity to diversity the mix of the farmers market.  By adding limited cold storage, producers can expand into meats, local fish, cheese, and other fresh food items that would expand the diversity of products offered at the market.  Vendors can also expand value-added and prepared foods.  These vendors would be “sell what you make or grow” while market hall vendors in permanent stalls would have more flexibility in selling products, including specialty foods, that are year-round and even international in character.  Farmers should also be encouraged to diversify their crops and add more specialty items and varieties within a product category.  While peaches and tomatoes are always going to be popular - there are more and more items that shoppers are familiar with through travel and cooking shows.  These specialty items can generally bring a good price as well.  It will make the market more interesting and enticing for those shoppers

PPS goes on the highlight the need for all Market tenants to be able to essentially “hold their own,“ so no one tenant is carrying “weaker” ones.  The group suggests putting prospective tenants through a rigorous process of planning and questioning before allowing them to sign a lease.

Management

PPS suggests turning the management of the market over to a “carefully selected entity,“ and says the competitiveness of the “market business” makes cities “no longer the best option for running them,“ on a day-to-day basis.  PPS says that outside management must be able to operate and grow the market, in cooperation with public goals and neighborhood/community development objectives.

PPS recommend a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation to take the lead in the revitalization of the market.

PPS also suggests that the City Market make better use of its “natural partners” to improve its exposure to the public.  Those partners include the media, city organizations, civic groups, business groups, and local schools and universities.

PPS also believes the City Market should “should position itself as a ‘green’ market - with recycling, education and outreach to other organizations that are doing the same.“  PPS recommends the renovations of the market building should strive for LEED certification.

Paying for the changes

PPS says the City Market should raise all of the money it needs for the proposed changes ahead of time, and not self-finance the project.

PPS thinks Roanoke city should consider a bond referendum, and highlights Seattle’s Pike Place Market as an example where public tax dollars go to help revitalize a market.

PPS also recommends changing the rental rate per square foot leased.

• On the ground floor, permanent stalls, corner retail/restaurant stalls, and mini-stalls would cost $30 per square foot
• On the ground floor, arcade retail facing Wall Street or Market Street, and sidewalk stalls would have a spilt cost structure.  From April through September rent would be priced at $50 per square foot per month.  From October to March, $40 per square foot per month.  Permanent stalls for arcade retail measuring 935 square feet would cost $25 per square foot per month.
• On the mezzanine level, corner retail/restaurant and storage space would cost $15 per square foot per month.
• For the upper floor meeting room, PPS suggests renting it a $1,500.

PPS also suggests the City examine allowing vendors to pay a percentage of their sales as rent, renting out the second floor catering kitchen, and renting small spaces to ATM machine companies.

PPS believes that if all of its changes are implemented, and if no stalls are vacant, then the City Market should make money in the third year after all changes are completed.