[Halifax] Seaport Farmers' Market | - | - | Complete

[someone123]

Architectural drawings for the new farmers' market location under construction at the seawall (see http://halifaxfarmersmarket.com/):

[someone123]

I'm kind of mixed when it comes to this development. I like the current farmers' market location, although it is cramped and not really suitable for being opened during the week.

It's hard to get a feel for what the new market would actually be like from the drawing of the interior since it shows about half a dozen stalls.

[gm_scott]

It seems okay. But I am not sure if it's suited to this area.

[Haliguy]

I kind of see you're point, but I think as this seaport area develops it will fit in fine. I picture it being something like Granville Island in Vancouver.

[Jonovision]

So it seems it will start in the fall. Can't wait.

Farmers’ market nears $500k investment milestone

By BILL POWER Staff Reporter
Tue. Jun 3 - 6:29 AM

The community investment component of the proposed Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market is about to clear the all-important $500,000 mark, manager Fred Kilcup said Monday.

It is a milestone in the development of a $10-million replacement for the farmers’ market operating at the Keith’s Brewery Building on Lower Water Street. The market is overflowing with vendors and customers on Saturday mornings, the manager said.

"We required a minimum of 50 investors and a minimum amount of $500,000 in order to close the offering and are set to exceed those numbers," said Mr. Kilcup.

He said the Farmers’ Market Investment Co-operative, which put together the public offering, had raised about $467,000 as of Monday morning, with a total of 125 investors.

The average investment is about $5,000.

"This is a pretty significant response from the public, considering we hit the street with the investment program just at the end of January," said the manager.

He said that with this level of momentum, the co-operative will be able to close the offering on July 16 as scheduled under the terms of the province’s Community Economic Development Investment Fund, which provides investors with tax credits toward reduced income taxes.

Mr. Kilcup said this achievement on the community investment side will allow proponents of the new market to ramp up negotiations for an additional $3 million in support from Halifax Regional Municipality and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

The province has committed $2.25 million toward the project, while the Halifax Port Authority has committed $1.1 million.

The plan is to begin work on the environmentally friendly complex at Pier 20 this fall and be open for business about one year later.

Mr. Kilcup said about 6,000 people regularly visit the existing market on Saturday mornings. Last Saturday, about 20 vendors had to set up outside due to a lack of space inside.

The new complex will have almost twice as much interior space available to vendors — a total of about 42,000 square feet. There will also be about 18,000 square feet of dedicated exterior space available.

( bpower@herald.ca)

[Takeo]

Originally Posted by someone123

I'm kind of mixed when it comes to this development. I like the current farmers' market location, although it is cramped and not really suitable for being opened during the week.

I'm not torn . The current location has loads of character but it's impractical and annoying to navigate. Newbies must be completely confused and overwhelmed. I think the new market would be more comparable to the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto... a huge wide open hall. Can't wait! And the character is more about the people than the space.

[sdm]

Feds give $2 million for market
ACOA invests in farmers’ new waterfront retail space
By DEVIN STEVENS
Sat. Sep 6 - 6:37 PM



The Halifax farmers’ market just got $2 million closer to a new home.

Construction of the $10-million Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market, expected to start later this year, got that major boost Friday from the federal government.

"The proposed market will greatly benefit the almost 200 rural farmers, artists and artisans who depend on selling their products directly to consumers in order to maintain their small businesses," Peter MacKay, minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, said in a news release Friday.

"Our government recognizes that urban and rural areas are interdependent, economically, socially and environmentally, and therefore rely on each other to prosper."

The new waterfront market will be twice as large as the Brewery Market space and will be open six days a week. Right now the market is only open Saturdays, serving about 6,000 people. It’s been in business since 1750.

"There’s such a huge demand for local food right now, we just can’t get everybody in the building," said Fred Kilcip, manager of the Nova Scotia Farmers’ Market Development Co-operative.

"We can’t get all our vendors that want to get in. We certainly can’t get all our customers that want to get in. If we’re serious about supplying local food direct from farmers, you can’t do it in a city this size one morning a week."

Mr. Kilcup said having the third government partner on board is a major advance for the project, but the co-operative still needs to secure more financial help.The province has already chipped in $2.25 million for the project, with Halifax Regional Municipality providing another $1 million and the Halifax Port Authority contributing $1.1 million. The co-operative has raised $760,000.

The facility will be environmentally friendly, incorporating wind and solar power, with water collection on the roof.

"It makes sense," Mr. Kilcup said. "Every time the cost of electricity and oil goes up, our costs stay relatively flat."

The market will have room for more than 200 small businesses. The ground floor will be devoted to retail, with a few permanent storefronts.

There will also be a mezzanine level with seating, a rooftop terrace and gardens, and a canopied market outside the building.

Mr. Kilcup said vendors from all over the province will be able to sell their wares in Halifax when their regular markets aren’t open.

( dstevens@herald.ca)

[Jonovision]

They say construction hasn't started and yet the last few times I've been down that way, that area of the pier is totally fenced off. Anyone know if something has started?

[hfx_chris]

Anybody know when DeVenne will start protesting this funding announcement too?

[Dmajackson]

Does anyone know what the status of this is? I remember a couple of months back it was fenced off and tore up but I haven't seen it in awhile.

[Jonovision]

I walked by the site the other day, and they have yet to actually touch the building. They are working on the public realm improvements right now. ie paving stones, access roads, parking.

[Dmajackson]

New farmers’ market will be green

By Carol Dobson Special Features Writer
Tue. Jan 27 - 8:00 AM

Much has been made in the media about changing from a 5,000 mile diet to a 50 mile diet when it comes to sourcing food for our families. One way to help make this happen is to support local farmers’ markets.

Fred Kilcup, the manager of the Halifax Farmers’ Market thinks in terms of a "Nova Scotia Diet" versus a 5,000-mile one. The vendors at the market sell vegetables, meats, juices, sauces, soups, soaps, and wines that have all been produced locally.

"When you’re supporting our vendors and buying locally produced products, you’re helping to reduce the carbon footprint," Kilcup says.

Vendors like Life’s Good Soups owner Mary Hamblin are also doing their part for the environment.

"I make sure that I compost the food scraps after I’ve cooked my soup, I use bags that quickly decompose, when I buy supplies, I buy them in the largest container I can find, and I use local produced and organic ingredients," she says. "One of my fellow vendors, Dee’s Ice Cream is using spoons and dishes made of a plastic that is made from potatoes for sampling and I’m looking at using containers made of the same material for my soups."

The new market, slated to open in 2010, is being constructed on ‘green’ principles. There will be rotating turbines on the roof that will generate electricity for the market and also fed into the power grid. Water will be collected on the roof to be used for applications, such as flushing toilets that do not require potable water. The design will maximize the amount of daylight the building receives and will include features such as green walls for air filtration and rooftop gardens.

One of the exciting things about the new market will be its ability to draw members of the community together. Kilcup sees it as a gathering place for the community, where it will be possible to go to a communal box office to buy tickets for events happening throughout the municipality. It will be a place where performances can be enjoyed both when the market is open and in its off hours, and a location where health-related organizations can hold blood donor clinics, nutrition workshops and other activities to help Nova Scotians live a healthier lifestyle.

With its location on the harbour, the new market will also be a highly visible example of making green technologies work not only for Nova Scotians, but for the thousands of cruise ship passengers that will pass through it each year.

"For many of these visitors, our market will be their first glimpse of Canada," Kilcup says. "So the new building will have a lot of impact there."

[Jonovision]

I walked by the site today and would have expected to see some work going on as they are saying it will open in 2010. But there was nothing new.

[Haliguy]

I was by there today and it looks as though they have started construction. They are tearing down the exterior of the shed.

[Dmajackson]

^That is great news

With this and the Power Plant being done the area will look a 100% better. I can't wait to see what the wind turbines will look like on the water's edge.

[Dmajackson]

I was looking up information to see if this project is really going ahead with construction but I ended up with some cool pictures not shown on this thread yet.





Both images from The Farmer's Market webiste (www.halifaxfarmersmarket.com)

[kph06]

I don't think the contract has been awarded yet, I heard the deadline was extended a few days ago. Avondale does have their sign up, but I've heard whatever they are doing is not part of the main contract.

[Barrington south]

nice one DJ....those turbines do look pretty cool

[Barrington south]

OOoooooo that ghost cruise ship is scary!!

[Barrington south]

I'm looking forward to enjoying a nice cold beer, on a hot summer day...up on that rooftop patio, or terrace or whatever it is there gonna build up there