Petition: Help Keep the North St. Lawrence Market Redevelopment on Track
Posted: June 27, 2013
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites
The St. Lawrence Market Precinct Working Group has initiated a petition urging Toronto City Council to continue investing in the redevelopment and renewal of the North Market. The petition can be viewed in full and signed here. An accompanying letter to the petition has been posted in full below.
Background
The St. Lawrence Market has featured a public market on its site since 1803, serving as a major destination for tourists and Toronto residents. Plans to revitalize the North Market site were initiated by the community in 1998 and in 2002 City Council passed a motion to execute the redevelopment. At present, $76.185 million has been approved to invest in new infrastructure.
The project has currently been stalled due to an increase in the projected costs, which have risen from an estimated $74.89 million to $91.46 million. The rising costs have been the result of a variety of factors, including inflation and atypical conditions discovered at the site requiring additional funds for excavation. The City is currently deliberating whether or not to continue investing in the project.
According to Urban Toronto, which has greater details on the project’s history, the redevelopment offers the following key benefits:
- Significant improvement to a city landmark and tourist destination
- Increased parking capacity (through the construction of 250 new underground spaces)
- Service improvements resulting from the consolidation of Court Services operations into one location
- Creation of new interior spaces that can be used for a variety of community and commercial purposes
Letter
Dear colleagues, friends, members of the food community, policy makers and champions for public placemaking:
We are writing from St. Lawrence Market, in Toronto Canada. Like you, the Market has been the catalyst and builder of community and the leading public market in Toronto, offering constituents access to healthier food, food security and a purveyor to economic development through a siege of real estate development and job creation for the small business owner.
Today we find ourselves in a precarious position where, just like back in 1971, we are fighting to save the plans for the revitalization and transformation of our farmers’ market – operating since 1803.
Initiated by the community in 1998, the plans to redevelop our North Market, has been an ongoing process. City Council passed through the motion in 2002 to execute the redevelopment and up to present day $76.185 million dollars have been approved to invest in a new infrastructure.
However, after years of discussions, request for proposals from international renowned architects, drafts of revised architecturally renderings; our North Market building is being scrutinized and could be cancelled because of increased budget costs, in excess of $16 million. In order to sustain plans, we need City Council to agree to continue to invest in our new Market.
We need help and your support.
Enclosed we have drafted a petition where we are rallying our local community and the international community to help save the plans for the north market redevelopment. Through collective democracy, we are collecting signatures to show support for the Market and to force the City’s hand to continue with the development of the Market.
Can you help us save our market? A signature or any evidence of the power your public markets have made in the cultivation and transformation of your communities will propel our argument forward.
We thank you from all we’ve got as small business owners, passionate food leaders, advocates for community development and leaders in cultivating healthier communities for your assistance.
Online Petition: http://tinyurl.com/l9rv4bp