The city of St. Louis is developing a long-term plan to revamp the Soulard Farmers’ Market, according to Gary Bess, director of the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, which has governed the market facilities for the last three years.
The planning process began last week with a meeting among a 12-person steering committee and current vendors.
According to Bess, a master plan was created in 1999, which called for significant physical updates that would have resulted in a “more polished 21st century market.” “But,” continued Bess, “vendors were concerned that [the market] would lose its flavor and bring in other vendors and exclude them. Some neighborhood folks and customers liked the way the market was and didn’t want to see the major changes. Because of the reaction of vendors and customers, it was shelved.”
So, why revisit the need for a makeover now? First, explained Bess, there are “some systems that are broke and need to be fixed.” Among them: the need for a standardized system regarding the parking of vendor vehicles as well as an improved trash system, both of which could make the facility and the adjacent park more attractive. The infrastructure problems to be addressed include heating, cooling and restroom facilities. Soulard Park may also receive improvements, including the bandstand, as the steering committee believes the park could be better used in conjunction with the market and for special events such as the annual St. Louis Mardi Gras Festival. Bess also noted that some ideas which emerged from the ’99 master plan deserve a second look, such as the conversion of the second floor of the market to classroom kitchens that could be used for culinary demonstrations and competitions.
Among its many tasks, the city seeks to answer a slew of questions regarding vendor makeup and even hours of operation. “Should we limit resellers? Do we have enough home growers? And there is a whole new set of competition: All the supermarkets are selling homegrown vegetables; there are a lot more farmers’ markets out there. How do we deal with more competition?” enumerated Bess, adding that while the market is wildly successful on Saturdays, the committee would like to improve traffic on weekdays to the stores in the main hall and other vendors that are open for business Wednesday through Friday.
The city has signed on consulting firm URS Corp. to manage the master plan and it’s seeking the input of regular market-goers. (URS implemented the Forest Park Master Plan, now in Phase 2, and was program manager for Chicago’s revamped Millennium Park.) On Fridays and Saturdays, CRS is conducting surveys with customers at Soulard Market, and interested persons will soon be able to complete an online survey on the City of St. Louis Website stlouis-mo.gov/. The steering committee – comprised of city officials, market vendors and other stakeholders among Soulard businesses and residents – will meet in August to review the results of the survey. Then, it will convene again in December to review a draft of the master plan and unveil it to the public next March.
This article appears in May 1-31, 2011.