Friday, October 30, 2009
Editorial: No death knell for the market
Good, solid planning can minimize discomfort during Roanoke's City Market renovations.
From the RoundTable blog
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Three major projects scheduled for Roanoke's City Market area will pose disruptions to all who earn their livelihood on the city's most vibrant square.
As plans move forward, city, Center in the Square and Downtown Roanoke Inc. officials must keep in mind that separate accommodations need to be made for the three distinct types of businesses.
n The City Market Building. Tenants have known for at least two years that the building would close while undergoing major renovations. Some former tenants already moved out. Those remaining have been continually informed of plans but have complained they hadn't been told when they'd need to vacate.
Now they know: July 1. This allows ample time to finalize plans.
If the building were privately held, the owner would owe tenants nothing more than notification that their leases would not be renewed.
But city ownership requires public officials to do more, because Roanoke has an interest in keeping taxpaying businesses within the city. Efforts should be made to help them find new locations, whether permanent or temporary.
n Market street vendors. The fate of street vendors is more in question and arguably more vital to downtown's atmosphere. Officials need to provide them with a clearer plan than was presented earlier this week.
As construction on Center begins next year, and later with planned changes to Market Square, the farmers and artists undoubtedly will not be able to use their current stands. By far, this displacement will be more disruptive than closing the Market Building.
Before part of the square is barricaded, the city and DRI must identify a prominent place to temporarily move the street vendors. Roanoke cannot afford to lose this vital market, even for a short time.
n Market Square restaurants and shops. Plans discussed this week called for closing the west half of Market Square for at least 10 months to house construction equipment. The closing of part of the square and sidewalks, along with the dust, noise and inconvenience, will impact these small businesses. Great care must be taken to allow safe passage into these storefronts during construction.
If handled correctly, the Market changes might prove uncomfortable in the short term but beneficial for many years to come.
