Ottawa's Byward Market

[rocketphish]

Vendors feel shut out of first project in ByWard Market transformation

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 29, 2016 | Last Updated: March 29, 2016 7:48 PM EDT

The city’s first project in the ByWard Market transformation would happen outside the main entrance of the central market building, relocating outdoor vendors who currently enjoy a prime location.

“We are not happy about it happening,” Jacinto Anguaya said. “They are not incorporating us in the George Street vision.”

Anguaya, a member of the ByWard Market Standholders Association board, and other vendors learned more about the city’s vision Tuesday during a meeting with staff and Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury.

The city wants to transform George Street at the building entrance to make it a gateway into the market. The future Rideau LRT station will be connected to the market by the existing walkway where the Scotiabank once stood. The first thing transit riders walking into the market will see is the George Street plaza. At city hall, the Confederation Line’s opening in 2018 informs most new infrastructure projects.

The exterior entrance to the market building traditionally has vendor stalls, but the city no longer wants vendors selling crafts or food in the outdoor plaza. Instead, the city is going for an “inviting gathering space” that opens up the facade of the market building. The area could be used year-round for various activities.

The city is still trying to determine exactly what that George Street plaza would look like. It’s trying to decide if it should have a historic feel with pieces such as log tables and other nostalgic items, or if it should have a more contemporary vibe (think illuminated crate seats and a mist fountain).

There isn’t a lot of money to play with. Council has earmarked $500,000 this term to improve the market, but Fleury hopes the city can get more money from other levels of government.

The city’s ultimate and very long-term vision for the market would cost $83 million. The major project would be the demolition of the city-owned parking garage and the construction of an underground parking garage with a new building on top.

First, the city wants to tackle the George Street plaza.

Vendors who rent stalls rave about that location, especially in the winter. The sun beats down on the plaza, making it more comfortable for hawkers and shoppers.

Anguaya said vendors want the city to redesign the area with vendors in mind. “I don’t think we’re asking for anything unreasonable.”

“I understand why they have concerns,” Fleury said, vowing to work with the vendors as the market renewal rolls out.

If approved by council, construction will start in September and end in spring 2017. The square could be closed over the winter. The pressure will be on the city to finish improvements by July 1, 2017, Canada’s 150th birthday.

City staff plan to ask council later this spring for permission to create a not-for-profit corporation to operate the ByWard and Parkdale markets. The corporation is expected to take full control of market operations in late 2017.

A U.S.-based consultant hired by the city, Project for Public Spaces, has recommended the market focus more on food and less on bars.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...-project-in-byward-market-transformation

[MoreTrains]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Vendors feel shut out of first project in ByWard Market transformation

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 29, 2016 | Last Updated: March 29, 2016 7:48 PM EDT

If approved by council, construction will start in September and end in spring 2017. The square could be closed over the winter. The pressure will be on the city to finish improvements by July 1, 2017, Canada’s 150th birthday.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...-project-in-byward-market-transformation

They need how long to put in some benches and flowerpots?! This is why I am sure that the cities budget waste threshold is above 40%. I mean half a million buck to remove some temporary tentage and clean up the outside of the market building, 🞵🞵🞵🞵, id do it for 20k.

[rocketphish]

George Street Plaza to be revamped
Preliminary plans presented to Lowertown community

By Michelle Nash
Ottawa East News, Apr 14, 2016

Change is coming to the ByWard Market.

Nearly three years after New York-based consultants People for Public Spaces (PPS) released its visioning document for the market, city staffers Court Curry and Dana Collins presented a preliminary report to Lowertown residents, market vendors and retailers at the Lowertown Community Association’s April 11 meeting.

And the main goal moving forward to make the market better, Curry said, is to remove the bureaucratic box it is in right now.

“We are striving to build a creative, innovative retail area,” Curry said.

Although the report is dedicated to not just the ByWard Market, but also Parkdale Market in Hintonburgh, Curry said most of what he presented is relevant to Lowertown’s market.

The push to make changes the market came from residents speaking out about the lack of local food options and the constant struggle with more and more night clubs and bars opening up in the downtown heritage district. The city responded by commissioning PPS to conduct a visioning exercise to imagine the best outcome for the market.

The results mirrored what residents were already saying – bars and nightclubs dominated and the needs of residents were losing out to the needs of tourists and visitors to the area. The study also defined and highlighted the conflict of two separate management systems for the indoor (private) and the outdoor (city-run) market areas.

The recommendations from that study were simple – reduce the amount of regulation, create a new governance model for the market, expand fresh food options and public spaces, create new uses for the main market building as well as review and possibly make changes to current zoning bylaws.

Since 2012, a draft report was created by PPS and city staff has been consulting with the market's stakeholders and reviewing the document in order to move ahead with a number of recommendations.

It was those recommendations that Curry presented at the meeting.

• Create a not-for-profit Municipal Service Corporation to operate the market – city remains owner off the properties, council appoints a board of directors and sets powers and duties; the corporation would report annually to council. The board would recruit retailers, oversee indoor and outdoor management and plan programming and advertising for both markets and manage volunteers and fundraising opportunities.
• A proposed mission which will maximize the ByWard and Parkdale markets’ potential to be unique year-round gathering places and destinations to purchase local produce and goods as well as other services and products that meet the needs of local and city-wide residents and tourists alike.
• Create and approve a public space.
• The city take a proactive bylaw enforcement on bars and night clubs

First up, Curry said is to revamp the George Street Plaza as an Ottawa 2017 Legacy project.

Collins is working on the designs for the plaza, which he said will be finalized and presented for community input in May, construction beginning in September and be completed by July 2017.

Collins said the goal is to create a natural public space.

“We want to create a place where people say 'I want to meet at George Street Plaza,'” Collins said.

Preliminary ideas Collins presented included adding greenery to the area, potentially add a water feature, fix the pedestrian crossing and make it a more pedestrian-friendly area.

Local residents welcomed the idea of a revamped public space, but highlighted the need to ensure the homeless and drug users don’t overtake the area.

“The success of the plaza will to be to work on a security plan,” Curry said.

When it comes to overhauling the current situation with the indoor and outdoor markets, Curry said the plan is to find a balance with the grandfathered rights of some long-time vendors and new opportunities.

“We want to start liberating this, and that will be what we will be working on this year,” Curry said. “We want to make it unique, but it will be a gradual transition as opportunities arise.”

A few residents mentioned the desire to have local artisans, with unique merchandise, sell their wares in the new model.

“Who will be on the board of directors?” asked local landlord, resident and business owner Donna Kerns.

Curry said the hope is to have new leadership for the market, and the final decision on how board members will be selected will be defined in a second report Curry will present to council later this year.

An open house to discuss the plaza will be held on May 11 at the Freiman Bridge Pedestrian Overpass.

http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/6496640-george-street-plaza-to-be-revamped/

[rocketphish]

Close ByWard Market to cars, NYC transport guru urges

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 27, 2016 | Last Updated: April 27, 2016 7:06 PM EDT

The New York City transportation guru who closed Times Square to cars says Ottawa could do the same in the ByWard Market.

Janette Sadik-Khan visited the Market on Wednesday as part of a day-long stop here, which was to culminate with an evening keynote speech to hundreds at the Aberdeen Pavilion.

“Try it, you’ll like it,” she said. “Cars don’t shop, people do. When you prioritize pedestrians and make it easy for them to walk in and out of stores, it’s much better for the bottom line of businesses.”

Faced with some initial reluctance, Sadik-Khan, New York’s former transportation commissioner, created a six-month pilot project in 2009 to close Times Square to cars. That gave business owners and the public time to see how such a thing would work.

“It’s not like looking at dry renderings or computer models. People can actually see and touch and feel it themselves. If it works, you keep it, and if it doesn’t work, you can put it back.”

Mayor Jim Watson was non-committal about whether Ottawa would ever follow the Big Apple’s lead.

“If there are things we can do both short-term and long-term to make (the Market) more cycle- and pedestrian-friendly, we should keep an open mind,” he said during a press conference alongside Sadik-Khan.

The opening of the Confederation LRT line in 2018 will make it much easier to visit the Market without a car, the mayor added.

Sadik-Khan’s visit to Ottawa comes as the city considers a plan to revitalize ByWard Market.

The city wants to transform the George Street plaza by doing away with outdoor vendors and creating a gateway into the Market. The future Rideau LRT station will be connected to the Market by the existing William Street pedestrian mall. The city is aiming for an “inviting gathering space” that opens up the facade of the market building for various activities year-round.

The city would like to remove the plaza’s outdoor stalls in September, suspend vending there in 2016 and 2017, and direct staff to meet with the standholders to discuss options for vending in the new George Street plaza beginning with the 2017/2018 off-market season. Any fees paid by standholders dislocated by the construction project will be refunded, the city says.

Council has earmarked $500,000 to fix up the plaza, but the city’s ultimate — and very long-term — vision for the market would cost $83 million. The major project would be the demolition of the city-owned parking garage and the construction of an underground garage with a new building on top.

The ByWard Market Standholders Association has bristled at the city’s direction, which is spelled out in a new report to be discussed next week by the finance committee.

Standholders have offered to pay for and build six permanent stalls on the George Street plaza to keep the tradition of outdoor vending alive. The showcase stalls would sell locally grown and produced maple syrup, food products and flowers, as opposed to artisan crafts and clothing produced elsewhere, said Jo Riding, the group’s spokeswoman.

“What you’re going to see is the best selection of vending, not the worst,” she said.

If approved, the city’s plan also calls for proactive zoning enforcement to make sure bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the ByWard Market are following the rules and the creation of a new Municipal Services Corporation to oversee operations at both ByWard and Parkdale markets.

The city will unveil its design plans for the George Street plaza on May 11, from 6 to 8 p.m., on the Freiman Bridge, the pedestrian overpass across Rideau Street that links the Rideau Centre and Hudson’s Bay Company.

[email protected]
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/close-byward-market-to-cars-nyc-transport-guru-urges

[phil235]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Close ByWard Market to cars, NYC transport guru urges

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 27, 2016 | Last Updated: April 27, 2016 7:06 PM EDT

The New York City transportation guru who closed Times Square to cars says Ottawa could do the same in the ByWard Market.

Janette Sadik-Khan visited the Market on Wednesday as part of a day-long stop here, which was to culminate with an evening keynote speech to hundreds at the Aberdeen Pavilion.

“Try it, you’ll like it,” she said. “Cars don’t shop, people do. When you prioritize pedestrians and make it easy for them to walk in and out of stores, it’s much better for the bottom line of businesses.”

Faced with some initial reluctance, Sadik-Khan, New York’s former transportation commissioner, created a six-month pilot project in 2009 to close Times Square to cars. That gave business owners and the public time to see how such a thing would work.

“It’s not like looking at dry renderings or computer models. People can actually see and touch and feel it themselves. If it works, you keep it, and if it doesn’t work, you can put it back.”

Mayor Jim Watson was non-committal about whether Ottawa would ever follow the Big Apple’s lead.

“If there are things we can do both short-term and long-term to make (the Market) more cycle- and pedestrian-friendly, we should keep an open mind,” he said during a press conference alongside Sadik-Khan.

The opening of the Confederation LRT line in 2018 will make it much easier to visit the Market without a car, the mayor added.

Sadik-Khan’s visit to Ottawa comes as the city considers a plan to revitalize ByWard Market.

The city wants to transform the George Street plaza by doing away with outdoor vendors and creating a gateway into the Market. The future Rideau LRT station will be connected to the Market by the existing William Street pedestrian mall. The city is aiming for an “inviting gathering space” that opens up the facade of the market building for various activities year-round.

The city would like to remove the plaza’s outdoor stalls in September, suspend vending there in 2016 and 2017, and direct staff to meet with the standholders to discuss options for vending in the new George Street plaza beginning with the 2017/2018 off-market season. Any fees paid by standholders dislocated by the construction project will be refunded, the city says.

Council has earmarked $500,000 to fix up the plaza, but the city’s ultimate — and very long-term — vision for the market would cost $83 million. The major project would be the demolition of the city-owned parking garage and the construction of an underground garage with a new building on top.

The ByWard Market Standholders Association has bristled at the city’s direction, which is spelled out in a new report to be discussed next week by the finance committee.

Standholders have offered to pay for and build six permanent stalls on the George Street plaza to keep the tradition of outdoor vending alive. The showcase stalls would sell locally grown and produced maple syrup, food products and flowers, as opposed to artisan crafts and clothing produced elsewhere, said Jo Riding, the group’s spokeswoman.

“What you’re going to see is the best selection of vending, not the worst,” she said.

If approved, the city’s plan also calls for proactive zoning enforcement to make sure bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the ByWard Market are following the rules and the creation of a new Municipal Services Corporation to oversee operations at both ByWard and Parkdale markets.

The city will unveil its design plans for the George Street plaza on May 11, from 6 to 8 p.m., on the Freiman Bridge, the pedestrian overpass across Rideau Street that links the Rideau Centre and Hudson’s Bay Company.

[email protected]
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/close-byward-market-to-cars-nyc-transport-guru-urges

I went to her talk. I think these news stories are a tad misleading. She spent a few minutes walking around the Market, and wasn't in a position to recommend anything. In fact, her entire message was to try things to make areas more pedestrian-friendly, but to base decisions on empirical data.

As an example of things that could be done, she showed a picture of York Street with the parking replaced by a square. Not quite a recommendation that the Market be entirely car free.

[MoreTrains]

Bout time! Somebody with some clout needed to say this. There is no reason for the market to be open to cars, especially in the summer. The number of pedestrians that walk through there overwhelm the sidewalks. The amount of space dedicated to cars is pretty crazy considering how little cars add to the markets economical success.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by MoreTrains

Bout time! Somebody with some clout needed to say this. There is no reason for the market to be open to cars, especially in the summer. The number of pedestrians that walk through there overwhelm the sidewalks. The amount of space dedicated to cars is pretty crazy considering how little cars add to the markets economical success.

But cars need somewhere to circle around while searching for a parking space.

[acottawa]

Nice that the parking garage department at city hall didn't talk to the "tear down the parking garage" department at city hall.

http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/cache/2/0bffab5li2m1nrf5q2ey2dab/36037505042016093456614.PDF

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by MoreTrains

Bout time! Somebody with some clout needed to say this. There is no reason for the market to be open to cars, especially in the summer. The number of pedestrians that walk through there overwhelm the sidewalks. The amount of space dedicated to cars is pretty crazy considering how little cars add to the markets economical success.

I have to disagree; you must be someone that comes to the Market during weekends or holidays. I own a business in the market and can guarantee you that people are not overwhelming the cars during the week. If the roads were closed, even in the summer, it would affect us. We have many customers and business such as restaurants that come from the suburbs before the rush, from 7:30am to 11:00am do their groceries, jump from store to store, and grab what they need and quickly drop off their items in their car. We are taking major purchases, they are not coming to the market to grab lunch and shop and we would lose these customers. The Market needs to appeal to both individuals that are window shopping, grabbing a drink on a patio and actual shoppers doing their groceries for the week. Can you see yourself going to Loblaw’s, not having a cart and carrying all those bags to your car in a parking garage that is not even in viewing distance, or even actually having to go to your car on multiple trips.

In addition, winter, I do not need to explain that situation. You do not want another Spark Street Mall on our hands.

Cars are not always a bad thing, look at Montreal St. Catherine, it is the hub for retail clothing shopping and it has cars and tons of people on the sidewalk.

[citydwlr]

From ICI/radio-Canada article ("Un nouveau visage pour le marché By"):



I was following Jon Willing's twitter feed during this week's financial committee meeting, and there seemed to be a number of people (mostly individuals who rent out the market stands) surprisingly against the idea of making the market pedestrian only. For Example:

- https://twitter.com/JonathanWilling/status/727513795434823681
- https://twitter.com/JonathanWilling/status/727515989559119873

[rocketphish]

George Street a step closer to $1M overhaul
The finance and economic development committee approved a 'revitalization' plan for the ByWard and Parkdale markets.

By: Lucy Scholey Metro
Published on Tue May 03 2016



Ottawa city councillors want to revamp the ByWard and Parkdale markets, starting with a $1-million overhaul of the George Street Plaza.

The finance and economic development committee signed off on the “revitalization” plan on Tuesday. If approved at council, the ByWard Market’s George Street hub would get new vendor stalls, a “mist feature,” horse fountain, public art and illuminated seating.

When former New York City transit commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan visited the city last week, she said William Street could become a completely pedestrian zone. Councillors debated whether to go a step further and ban cars from the entire market.

Jasna Jennings, executive director of the ByWard Market BIA, said this would not suit shoppers. No one will be lugging Christmas trees or potato sacks on the future light rail transit, she said.

Robert Hupe, a maple syrup producer with stalls at the ByWard Market and Lansdowne Park, agreed. When the market moved from Brewer Park to Lansdowne, which offers paid underground parking, his business dropped by about 40 per cent, he said.

He also urged councillors to encourage more local producers at markets, rather than allowing resellers who undercut vendors.

“You have to find a way to bring the farmers back to ByWard,” he said.

A city staffer said 64 per cent of ByWard Market vendors sell local produce and 36 per cent are resellers, although there was some debate on the definition of “local.”

There will be an information session on the George Street Plaza on May 11.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2016/05/03/ottawa-committee-approves-market-revitalization.html

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by TheGoods

I have to disagree; you must be someone that comes to the Market during weekends or holidays. I own a business in the market and can guarantee you that people are not overwhelming the cars during the week. If the roads were closed, even in the summer, it would affect us. We have many customers and business such as restaurants that come from the suburbs before the rush, from 7:30am to 11:00am do their groceries, jump from store to store, and grab what they need and quickly drop off their items in their car. We are taking major purchases, they are not coming to the market to grab lunch and shop and we would lose these customers. The Market needs to appeal to both individuals that are window shopping, grabbing a drink on a patio and actual shoppers doing their groceries for the week. Can you see yourself going to Loblaw’s, not having a cart and carrying all those bags to your car in a parking garage that is not even in viewing distance, or even actually having to go to your car on multiple trips.

In addition, winter, I do not need to explain that situation. You do not want another Spark Street Mall on our hands.

Cars are not always a bad thing, look at Montreal St. Catherine, it is the hub for retail clothing shopping and it has cars and tons of people on the sidewalk.

In many places in Europe they have movable bollards that allow access by cars in the morning and then close for pedestrians later in the day. That might be a solution here.

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by acottawa

In many places in Europe they have movable bollards that allow access by cars in the morning and then close for pedestrians later in the day. That might be a solution here.

Maybe that would work but this solution would be for 2 to 3 months of the year and for weekends only, this is a non issue during the week. Is it really worth it? If you go to the Market now, the sidewalks are not full with pedestrians or cars.

Most European cities, I would actually have to say no European city is as cold as Ottawa, why would we be closing a street in the afternoon when it is -30C on a Saturday afternoon in January or February, there are plenty of empty parking spots right on Byward Market St. and hardly anyone walking around.

With all the exceptions, it would be too confusing for customers, when is it open, what day, weekend, weekends, winter, summer. This is really a non issue unless we are trying to promote the Market for only restaurants and bars. If we want to keep the Market with the retail shops and local farmers, this would not work for us. Even the Market BIA is against this because they understand the needs of the retail shops and vendors, we understand how are clientele and their need for a car. We we only catered to the window shoppers coming to the market for a drink on a patio in the summer, we would be closed long ago.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by TheGoods

Maybe that would work but this solution would be for 2 to 3 months of the year and for weekends only, this is a non issue during the week. Is it really worth it? If you go to the Market now, the sidewalks are not full with pedestrians or cars.

Most European cities, I would actually have to say no European city is as cold as Ottawa, why would we be closing a street in the afternoon when it is -30C on a Saturday afternoon in January or February, there are plenty of empty parking spots right on Byward Market St. and hardly anyone walking around.

With all the exceptions, it would be too confusing for customers, when is it open, what day, weekend, weekends, winter, summer. This is really a non issue unless we are trying to promote the Market for only restaurants and bars. If we want to keep the Market with the retail shops and local farmers, this would not work for us. Even the Market BIA is against this because they understand the needs of the retail shops and vendors, we understand how are clientele and their need for a car. We we only catered to the window shoppers coming to the market for a drink on a patio in the summer, we would be closed long ago.

BIAs tend to overestimate the proportion of their business derived from people that come by car, so it is pretty much inevitable that there would be opposition. What they tend to underestimate is the additional business that they could expect by improving the pedestrian experience and making the area more appealing to cyclists.

I think the likely compromise is some use of bollards etc. to close certain streets at certain times (and maybe not in winter) to revitalize the area. For instance, the York St. plaza is a huge waste of valuable space that could be transformed to improve the public realm and enhance the businesses in that area. The plan above actually looks good - some parking preserved with expanded public spaces.

I don't think that I buy that closures at certain times would be too confusing, particularly with good signage directing drivers to nearby lots.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by TheGoods

Cars are not always a bad thing, look at Montreal St. Catherine, it is the hub for retail clothing shopping and it has cars and tons of people on the sidewalk.

Actually, Montreal has been planning a redesign of Ste-Catherine Street that would see road speeds and parking spaces reduced, more space for cycling and larger sidewalks. The success of the street has been largely dependent on pedestrians yet the street isnso crowded that this redesign will make it more pleasant and livable (when I lived there I avoided that street because the sidewalks were too small for the crowds and crossing streets was awkward). A part of it, around the Village, is completely pedestrianized in the summer, with cars forbidden from using it.

Invoking the failure that is Sparks is common to people arguing against car-free or reduced spaces for cars. But the failure of Sparks wasn't because it was car-free; this is evident in its success for 20-30 years, even during winter. Other factors led to its death, such as the rehabilitation of the Byward Market, the construction of the Rideau Centre, the expropriation and construction of office buildings with no retail that turned their back on Sparks. None of these will happen to the Market, and instead we have more Condos built nearby that will ensure a constant flow of people, provided the businesses are good enough to attract them.

A lot of the Market is ugly. Pedestrians have to be cautious when crossing, cars drive to fast and inattentively around York. Parking garages and parking lots are unsightly. And there's hardly any greenery and public seating there too. The best parts of the Market are the lanes and courtyards reserved only for people. Going car-free and using that space differently would make it more of a destination and perhaps bring more than those suburban drivers some businesses rely on to stay afloat.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Nice that the parking garage department at city hall didn't talk to the "tear down the parking garage" department at city hall.

http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/cache/2/0bffab5li2m1nrf5q2ey2dab/36037505042016093456614.PDF

Broken cache link.
Here's the right one: https://t.co/z0tlutH9am

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Broken cache link.
Here's the right one: https://t.co/z0tlutH9am

Thanks

[UrbOttawa]

I feel like people are being too polar on this, either taking the stance of keeping the status quo or completely going car free. In my opinion there should be a healthy balance between cars and pedestrian space in the market, though at the moment i think the scale is tipping in the favour of cars. I think the plans the city has in the works will do wonders for the market and result in a healthy balance between both, such as the pedestrianizing of the rest of William and creation of a linear park on York.

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by phil235

BIAs tend to overestimate the proportion of their business derived from people that come by car, so it is pretty much inevitable that there would be opposition. What they tend to underestimate is the additional business that they could expect by improving the pedestrian experience and making the area more appealing to cyclists.

I think the likely compromise is some use of bollards etc. to close certain streets at certain times (and maybe not in winter) to revitalize the area. For instance, the York St. plaza is a huge waste of valuable space that could be transformed to improve the public realm and enhance the businesses in that area. The plan above actually looks good - some parking preserved with expanded public spaces.

I don't think that I buy that closures at certain times would be too confusing, particularly with good signage directing drivers to nearby lots.

Again, I am a business owner in the Market, so, this is not just the BIA, it is my opinion based on speaking to my customers and learning the demographics of my customer.

You state that we would get more business from pedestrians and cyclists, I agree with your comment but I will also lose customers that drive. Yes, I will have a larger clientele percentage wise for 2 to 3 months but did you ever factor their spending habits? I already have cyclists that come and paid attention to their spending habits. How many cyclist do their weekly grocery shopping? How many have a party or occasion and want to head down to the market to buy cheese, chacuterie, bread, crakers, fruits, vegetables, etc.. They are not leaving our store with a handful of bags, usually a few small items that they can put in their backpack. The other factor you keep forgetting is that this is for 2 to 3 months.

If I annoy and potentially lose my big spenders (customers) with a grocery bill in excess of $100 and replace them with $10 purchases for 2 to 3 months of the year and they do not step back into the store the remaining 10 months of the year, I might see a small surge in business for 2 months. That is a maybe, not sure how many small purchases I would need to replace my large customers. I will use Canada Day as an example, it is a day that there are hardly any cars in the market, it is one of our slower days of the year.
I cannot build a business on 2 to 3 months of the year; I would have been out of business a long time ago. Customers have habits and if we make it too difficult during a specific period, they will setup new habits and not come back in the fall, spring and winter.

I already have enough data to support my opinion, our biggest sales period are Christmas and New Year’s (early December to New Year’s) which no one is walking around the Market, everyone is coming with their cars. Another busy period is fall, starting Labour Day in September to late October when families are back at work. Other major holidays like Thanks Giving and Easter. Canada Day is one of our slowest day of the year, you have plenty of people walking around, are they shopping, NO. If you want the Market to continue having a food retail component and farmers, this is not a great idea. If you want the market to target mostly restaurants, café’s, bars, yes, this would work.

Lastly, in the months of January, February and March, if it wasn’t for our regular customers driving down to the Market, we would be out of business. I cannot cater my business for individuals that will come 2 or 3 months of the year with small purchases.

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by RobOttawa

I feel like people are being too polar on this, either taking the stance of keeping the status quo or completely going car free. In my opinion there should be a healthy balance between cars and pedestrian space in the market, though at the moment i think the scale is tipping in the favour of cars. I think the plans the city has in the works will do wonders for the market and result in a healthy balance between both, such as the pedestrianizing of the rest of William and creation of a linear park on York.

Out of curiosity, how many of my fellow Skyscarper board members go down to the Byward Market and if so, when do you head down,what day of the week (weekends, weekday), is it a year round activity, (weekly, monthly), what months do you go down, how much do you spend on groceries. Ask yourself these questions?

What the retail businesses in the Market need are regular weekly customers all year around. A solution needs to include all aspects, with these changes, would you become a regular to the Market and replace your spending habits from going to the Loblaws in the suburbs down to the Market.