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Farmers’ Market Building at River Landing

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Although the Farmers’ Market Building is closed right now, exciting things have been 'growing' on at the site. Check back for regular updates.

At a Glance (August 21, 2020)

  • Street Stall Saturdays (an outdoor market with local artisans, and fruit and produce vendors, operated by Ideas Inc. in partnership with the Community Farmers' Market) will be held on Market Square (Avenue A and 19th Street) and Sonnenschein Way every Saturday until October 10; 9am – 2pm.
  • Discussions are ongoing with a potential tenant, selected through the public Request for Proposal process to lease and animate the Farmers' Market Building six-days-a-week.
  • The Farmers' Market Building is currently closed to the public, due to roof repairs, which are scheduled to conclude in Fall 2020.

River Landing Concept Plan - Farmers' Market Building & Market Square Objectives

  • The Farmers' Market Building and adjacent Market Square are City-owned assets within River Landing.  
  • The River Landing Concept Plan calls for a farmers' market component at the site, along with other animation features, such as business activities at minimum six-days-a-week, to make this area a year-round destination.

Request for Proposal for the Lease of the Farmers’ Market Building

  • The lease with the previous tenant expired on December 31, 2019.
  • City Council directed City Staff to find a tenant who will fully utilize this community asset and animate the facility for six or more days a week, including a minimum of two days dedicated to a farmers’ market component with a focus on local produce and content.
  • A Request for Proposal (RFP) was released in November and closed late December 2019.
  • A team of City staff from departments relevant to the project evaluated the submissions based on criteria outlined in the RFP.
  • The City is in negotiations with the highest ranked proponent to operate and animate the building six-days-a-week. These negotiations are confidential at this time.
  • Once lease terms are finalized, a public report will be presented to City Council for consideration.
  • The overall RFP process has been overseen by an external Fairness Monitor.

Farmers’ Market Building Roof Repairs

  • In February 2019, it was discovered that significant repairs were needed to the roof of the Farmers’ Market Building.
  • The roofing contractor is now onsite undertaking the roof replacement project. Dependent on weather and unforeseen delays, the work is expected to be complete in October 2020. 
  • The work has required a full closure of the building, but will not affect Ideas Inc. Street Stall Saturdays operating in Market Square and on Sonnenschein Way until Thanksgiving weekend (October 10).

Outdoor Market on Market Square

  • During discussions with City Council in 2019, Administration committed to ensuring that Market Square would be animated with an outdoor farmers’ market in 2020. 
  • The City received an application through its regular booking process for Market Square, to be used for a farmers’ market as an extension of Ideas Inc.'s annual Street Stall Saturdays.
  • As there is no building tenant at this time, the City has approved this application, as an interim initiative, in order to meet the commitment to City Council. 
  • Street Stall Saturdays partnered with the Community Farmers' Market (a farmers' market entity operating in the city) to offer fresh produce and local content on Market Square and Sonnenschein Way every Saturday from June 20 to October 10; 9am - 2pm.

Frequently Asked Questions​

How many Proposals were received as part of the 2019 RFP for the Lease of the Farmers’ Market Building?

The City is in negotiations with the highest ranked proponent of the RFP and the results can become public knowledge upon Contract award.

When will the future tenant be offered the lease?

The City is in negotiations with the highest ranked proponent of the RFP; once the lease terms are finalized, a report will be presented to City Council for consideration.

Is the future arena going to be located at this site?

There are two vacant parcels of land in the vicinity of the Farmers’ Market Building (currently temporary parking lots).  Since the City owns the parcels, they are being evaluated as a potential site for a new arena and/or convention centre as part of the Downtown Entertainment District.  There are also a number of other sites around the Downtown that are being evaluated as potential sites.  It is expected that the preferred arena location be presented to City Council in 2020, however future construction is some years away.

Will the City rent the Farmers’ Market Building prior to selecting a new tenant?

The City has not chosen a new tenant for the building, so until that time, we cannot rent out the building as we do not know what their plans for it might be.

 
The Farmers’ Market Building Update Report from the Monday, September 30, 2019 City Council Agenda - Regular Business Meeting can be found here.
 
The latest (March 5, 2020) News Release on the Farmer's Market Building can be found here.