Download Public Space Support Letter

City Staff and Market Plaza developers want to privatize the plaza!
City Market gets to rent one day/week for 99 years!
The words of vendor Rachel Williamson, member of the Vendor Advisory Board:
Dear Planning Commission and City Council,
I hope that you will consider how limiting this will be for any future growth of the market. This will only
exacerbate the current congestion we are experiencing. Many people say that they don't come to the market
because it's too crowded. We have an opportunity with the new space to finally be able to open more than
one day per week. I believe that the Wednesday market could do far better if it had the opportunity to move
downtown. I can also imagine a thriving food scene on Friday nights in this space, giving an opportunity for
small food businesses to offer their unique food even if they can't afford to open a restaurant. As the city
grows and demand for local food and craft becomes greater, please don't throw away the opportunity for us
to use this space on more just than Saturday mornings. The developers have no reason to act in the market’s
best interest. Private ownership would transform the market in several ways, none of them for the better. If
we lose our public control we will be under the Health Department instead of The Virginia Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services, which would shift the rules in such a way that the majority of our food
vendors could not afford to be there.(the Nellysford Market is a good example of market limitations on a
privately controlled space.) If we had to compete in a privatized market that gave spaces based on how much
money we could make, there would be no room for new businesses to learn and grow.
I imagine that it must be tempting to give the developers ownership of the market space for the other six days
of the week, because it would be one less thing for which the city has to be responsible. That would be a very
shortsighted decision with irreversible repercussions. If you give away city control of this space now it will be
nearly impossible to ever get it back. You have been chosen as our community representatives to speak for us
and make decisions in our (the market’s) best interest.
Market Central says:
We have been a public market for 42 years. We are made up of vendors, customers, the administration, a
market advocacy non-profit, and other community supporters who add programming and interest. We must
not lose sight of what makes markets great for communities: the public benefit of significant, job creation,
business incubation, agricultural preservation, positive health impacts and bringing people into the city who
spend money at other businesses, restaurants, etc. And perhaps the biggest impact of all is the creation of
value in the surrounding area and the positive perception of downtown as a vibrant place to live, work, invest
and spend quality time.
Public Markets are all about diversity, inclusion, community, social connections, and democracy. The market
community has trusted the stewardship of the market to the City for its entire existence. For over 20 years we
have searched together for a permanent home solution. Now that we are on the brink of an almost
miraculous public/private partnership, we cannot give in to our fears about management and give up the
public part. The public part is what makes this enterprise great and exciting. Imagine what we can still do
together, not what is easiest. It would be a tragedy to lose this market in order to avoid the difficulties ahead
of managing the new public space. The developers said from the beginning that the Plaza would be a public
space. Let’s stick to the plan and not give up the vision at the last moment.
Should the new Market Plaza be a public or private space?
Mark your choice on our register, go to the Council Meeting Oct. 5 or write to your city councilors.
www.marketcentralonline.org