From todays Herald
Farmers’ market set to get growing
By TOM PETERS Business Reporter
Wed. Jun 10 - 4:46 AM
The Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market has been given the green light to start construction.
"We are ready to go," manager Fred Kilcup said Tuesday.
Mr. Kilcup said a construction start on the approximately $12-million facility, to be located at Pier 20 on Halifax Port Authority property, is imminent.
The project is part of the port authority’s overall Seaport Project, which is designed to refurbish and revitalize a south-end area of the port along Marginal Road and make it more attractive to cruise ship visitors and the public in general.
The Cunard Centre, Garrison Brewing Co., NSCAD University and Pier 21 Museum are all part of the Seaport redevelopment.
Mr. Kilcup said the project is still on target to be completed in late spring 2010, in time for the port’s busy cruise season
RCS Retail Construction Specialists Inc. of Bedford is the main contractor for the 40,000-square-foot facility, which was designed by Halifax architects Lydon Lynch.
The project hit some stumbling blocks during attempts to raise the capital to build the market, but Mr. Kilcup said the financing is all in place.
"I don’t think there was any doubt we weren’t going to go ahead. There are a lot of serious commitments made by a lot of people. It was just a question of getting it all done," he said.
Funding for the project has come from various sources. The province has contributed $2.25 million, Halifax Regional Municipality $1 million, the port authority $1.1 and the federal government $2 million. The seaport market co-operative has raised over $760,000.
The new market is a LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environment Design) project.
There will be a number of "green" features, including wind turbines on the roof, solar collection, rainwater conservation and a geothermal climate control system.
The new market, replacing the one that’s held every Saturday at Keith’s Brewery, will be open six days a week and will have space to accommodate up to 200 small businesses and vendors.
(
tpeters@herald.ca)