Recreating Boston's Market District
April 24, 2012
Before we get to our main topic this week, we wanted to let you know that WGBH Radio (89.7FM) has started a weeklong series on the MBTA. Our President and CEO, Rick Dimino, has been featured in WGBH reports on transportation in the past, and the opening report of the series, about building a world-class transit system, features some additional audio from him.
Working on the T is an uphill battle, which is why it's nice to be able to take a break and learn about a project that's moving forward. Last Friday, the ABC Young Leaders committee hosted a luncheon with Don Wiest, the president of Boston Public Market Association (BPMA). The BPMA currently runs seasonal farmer's markets in Dewey Square and City Hall Plaza, and the group has been selected by the state to plan, build and operate a year-round, indoor public market in the "Parcel 7" building directly above the Haymarket T station, along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. (You can view the BPMA proposal for the market here.)
Don -- along with Yanni Tsipis, a BPMA board member and a co-chair of the ABC Young Leaders -- took the group through the project, from the history of the neighborhood as a market district up to the potential vendors and products that will be offered when the new market opens sometime in 2014.
When completed, the final market will have room for roughly 40 vendors inside and more on the sidewalks along the Greenway in nice weather. The space will also house a demonstration kitchen where prominent local chefs will teach visitors how to prepare the fresh produce for sale. It'll also serve as a culinary classroom for local school kids to learn healthy eating habits.
The state has released $4 million to fund the planning and build-out of the market. The BPMA is now working to raise the another $11 million to cover the rest of the cost of the project. Their goal is to have the market up and running sometime in 2014.
Thanks to Don and Yanni for bringing us up to speed on this exciting new project. We look forward to tracking the project as it progresses -- and eating there when it opens!
