The Madison Local Food Committee began discussions Thursday on plans to build a public market at Washington Plaza, which would feature permanent and temporary outlets for local food sources.
The market, which would ideally be located at the now-occupied corner of East Washington and First Street, is an effort by Project for Public Spaces to bring diverse vendors to the Madison community.
In order to ensure the public market is catering to the community, the committee stressed the importance of equity discussions in the coming months. While the business plan draft included several sentences alluding to viewing the project through the lens of racial and social equity, committee members were disappointed there was not more.
Committee members pointed out many other potential issues with the business plan, including parking, startup costs, management models and overall budget. Personnel expenses are projected to remain static over five years, something the committee agreed was not realistic.
The committee also disagreed with the projected time frame for opening, which allotted two to three years for the lot to open vacancies. Food and Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf estimated at least three years before construction could begin.
Despite many problems, economic development specialist Dan Kennelly said issues like these are expected for first-draft business plans and said he is not worried.
Meetings have been scheduled throughout the summer to gather input from the community and other city committees, including an equity focus group and a workshop with Common Council. The committee is set to introduce the formal plan to Common Council June 16.
