Update on Saturday Market

It was buried in Thursday’s pull-out InPortland section of the Oregonian, so you may have missed Fred Leeson’s coverage of design review for the new location of Saturday Market in Waterfront Park. Apparently members of the Design Review Commission don’t like the proposed design of shelters over the market booth area, although they approve of the overall landscape plan. See my June report.

I received some e-mailed comments after that post. The Portland Development Commission (PDC) is paying Saturday Market’s mortgage and late interest payments on the Skidmore Building, eliminating Saturday Market’s debt and freeing the space for use by Mercy Corps. Apart from helping Saturday Market, another reason PDC is paying off the debt is to keep the City from default status on the federal loan behind the Saturday Market mortgage, which apparently the City is responsible for. Default status could jeopardize additional millions of dollars being spent on social service programs in Portland, according to my informant. While control over the design of Waterfront Park’s use by Saturday Market is up to Portland Parks & Recreation and now the Design Commission, PDC has set aside funds to help with the updates to the park necessary for the move. I’ll probably post a “Who’s paying what for Saturday Market in Waterfront Park” summary once the final design and costs are known.

It seems to me there are three questions involved in this:

1) Is it good for Waterfront Park?
2) Is it good for Saturday Market?
3) Is it worth the City’s investment via PDC?

I think Waterfront Park is big enough to take the proposed open space and structural improvements, while still leaving plenty of flat, uncluttered green acreage. Adding more active uses, particularly in the flexible design with the plaza and river viewing area, will help the park continue to be a fun gathering place for Portlanders and visitors.

I don’t have a contact within Saturday Market, and will be glad to hear from one on whether the vendors and organizers like this move, or not. Getting their debt paid off has to be a plus, I think, and so would having a permanent, year-round location with amenities. And the new location will still be near light rail, and close to the old location. As a customer, the new site won’t be quite as convenient for me to visit, but it’s very close.

PDC seems to believe the moves in Old Town/Chinatown will be helpful to the area. They’re counting on Mercy Corps’ new International Headquarters and the University of Oregon satellite operations adding active uses and attracting further investment. Discussions with the Naito family (families?) about a five block redevelopment with jobs/housing/retail seem to validate the hope that PDC investment will pay off in further private sector upgrades which will benefit the community. I’m glad to hear they’re working on affordable housing Requests For Proposals (RFPs), since I’m very concerned that the current residents of the area (both temporary shelters and their providers) should not be forced out by the proposed changes.

What do you think?