Discomfort food
There was a story in the news the other day to the effect that they're finally going to open a "James Beard Public Market" in downtown Portland sometime soon. They've been talking about this for decades. Supposedly it's going to be the next Pike Street Market.
A long-gestating plan to bring a world-class public market to Portland took a major step forward Monday, as organizers announced they have secured a location in downtown Portland and hope to be partially open as soon as next year.
The website for the market proclaims:
With its opening projected for 2025, James Beard Public Market will invigorate downtown Portland and catalyze future food cultures in an indoor/outdoor venue open seven days a week. The market will offer a unique and authentic experience with its diverse array of vendors featuring fresh produce, local dairy products, artisan cheese, local fish, meats and game, fresh flowers, herbs, and value-added food products—as well as coffee, beer, wine and distilled spirits.
I've always been pretty lukewarm to this concept, and that was when downtown Portland was still a viable place to conduct a business. Given what's happened down there in the last five years or so, I must say, it's an odd time to be embarking on a risky endeavor like this, right on the transit mall.
And of course, the cheapskate taxpayer in me wants to know how much property tax revenue is going be siphoned off for the project. Prosper Portland is involved, which always sets off the alarm bells in that regard.
Despite the hoopla, one wonders if this will actually get off the ground, and if it does, how long it will survive. Meanwhile, if I'm in the mood for high-end food products, beer, and wine from around the region and the world, I just head to Providore at 24th and Sandy. They've been at it a long time, and they've already got all the goods that the James Beard Market talkers can only dream of. And I doubt they get any taxpayer handouts.
https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/vancouver-takes-steps-toward-own-pike-place-market/
ReplyDeleteIn my lifetime alone, we've had the Yamhill Marketplace and The Galleria. Both concepts have come and gone. Pioneer Place is mostly abandoned, except for the luxury spots the wealthy like to shop while avoiding sales tax. Every town and neighborhood has a thriving weekly market. Everyone's got a butcher too. Don't get me started on the various markets like H-Mart, Fubonn, and Shun Fat. Who's clamoring for this? On the bus mall to boot?
ReplyDeleteNot downtown, but don't forget the market near Lloyd Center, on the north side. It was a long time ago, but I think Coffee People was there, and Macheesmo Mouse was there or nearby.
DeleteIrvington Market, I think it was called. It was the forerunner (by quite a while) of Providore.
DeleteMacheesmo Mouse!
DeleteMany of my personal friends have hoped this will happen.
ReplyDeleteIn an ideal world, it would be great. But it's a hard thing to pull off, or else it would have happened a long time ago. I suspect they got a great deal on the space because downtown is so dead. But there, I said it: Downtown is dead. Could be a big money pit for Prosper Portland, which means for us taxpayers.
DeleteI think you’re correct about the money pit.
DeleteThe fact this has taken many years and is taking over vacant space in a time when we need to attract people downtown, I'm 100% ok with the use of public funds for this aspirational project. If it succeeds, awesome. If it doesn't, we will have refurbished a not overwhelmingly large (aka, ridiculously expensive) piece of real estate that very much needs it. I'm more appalled at the prospect of the new stadium. Show me a neighborhood that has benefitted from a stadium being put in their neighborhood. One. Just. One. Oh. Right. Zerooooo.
ReplyDeleteWrigleyville.
DeleteJust about any neighborhood strip is better than a bunch of vendors (whose palms will be greased for the booths?) clustered in an oh-so-cute space, with Prosper Prtland promulgating DEI diktats and people staying away in droves. Portland's downtown was created by Urban Renewal (which displaced Jews and Old Men, and they don't count) and the demolition of great classical architecture replaced by soulless Bauhaus slabs. Anything touched by "Prosper" Portland turns to monkey-pucky.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez at the City Club forum last month: The city needs to revolutionize Prosper Portland, which has become a social engineering tool.
DeleteRG nails it! Prosper Portland has no understanding of economic development whatsoever. Identity politics and DEI are their mantra.
ReplyDelete