/\ Well, it's still just a rumour, though I don't know why they would be lying. I'm just a couple of blocks from there and quite excited at the prospect (as long as there's no drive thrus, which there won't be). I guess that make me a YIMBY.
In other news, the Farmers Market at River Landing is a go.
Farmers Market plans get green light
Published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Construction crews will soon be crawling all over the future home of the Saskatoon Farmers Market, getting ready for the first people-magnet to open in the second phase of River Landing this fall.
Council approved the overall concept plans for the market, as well as the Ideas, Inc. business incubator next door, and the adjoining Riversdale Square on Monday night, clearing the way for city administrators to issue the necessary development permits for all three projects to proceed.
In the meantime, council's executive committee will discuss details of the farmers market operations -- including expected hours of business, diversity of products and potential for on-site recycling -- next week.
Councillors said they approve of the plans but want some further assurances the market will be able to attract people at least five days a week, in all seasons. The market and business incubator will both lease space from the city and be expected to cover all associated operating costs.
The farmers market is already "selling a lot more than the traditional vegetables you would buy on a farm," noted Coun. Glen Penner.
Riversdale Business Improvement District president Randy Pshebylo has seen interest in the neighbourhood steadily increase over the last few years as news of the revitalization spread. People who have lived in Saskatoon for years and never set foot in Riversdale are suddenly coming around to see its potential, and the opening of the farmers market will only add to that, he said.
"It's for real. It's starting to happen and it's starting to solidify. I wouldn't say we're there yet, but certainly with that (business incubator), in terms of business attraction to the area, (there could be) spin-off businesses within up to a mile of that incubator."
Adding a new cultural component to the west side is bound to attract new restaurants and other services that pull customers from all over the city, Pshebylo said.
The future home of the farmers market consists of three pre-engineered structures that appear to have been salvaged from various locations and reassembled at their current site, according to a report from Stantec Consulting.
The whole building will have to be reinforced, re-insulated and re-wired to bring it up to code, and a 310-square-metre expansion is planned to make room for the 60 to 70 vendor spaces inside.
The concept plan calls for removing the existing east and west facades of the building, adding new windows to either end. The main entrance will be on the east side, facing the public square, with glass overhead doors that can be opened in summer.
Though mostly reserved for produce sellers, some spaces in the market will also be available for associated products such as meats, baking and flowers. Outside, the village square and an extension of 18th Street are expected to hold another 65 stalls.
"The intent is to also include a small cafe area that can spill out into the Village Square during good weather," the report adds. "It is anticipated that the market patio cafe . . . will be an extremely popular venue."
The pre-engineered building that currently houses the farmers market will be taken apart, leaving its construction materials intact so they can be reused elsewhere.
History will form a major component of Riversdale Village Square, with the foundation of the former Immigration Hall outlined in paving stones among rows of shade trees and interpretive panels explaining the importance of the site as a gathering place as far back as the original 1903 Barr Colony camp nearby.
Pedestrians will enter the square from the corner of 19th Street and Avenue A by passing through an entry feature, and at the centre of the square will be a roofed structure for outdoor concerts and special events.
The former administrative office block of the old Electrical Building will undergo a major facelift -- including an addition of 454 square metres on two levels with an elevator for wheelchair access -- before it becomes home to the various fledgling businesses expected to lease space from Ideas, Inc. The new ventures will share common access to business amenities such as a copy centre, meeting space, classroom and coffee lounge.
The brick exterior and original design of the building will remain intact, but the main entrance will be relocated to the south side. Storefront-style windows on the main floor will open up the space for pedestrians and connect the building to the surrounding development.
All three connected projects -- the farmers market, Ideas, Inc. and Riversdale Village Square -- are expected to cost the city about $3.9 million. The farmers market is expected to open sometime this fall, while construction schedules for the business incubator and public square have yet to be finalized.
I'm not making this up
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