The Madison Public Market Foundation is pleased to have been named a recipient of a $40,000 grant from the Madison Community Foundation (MCF). Announced on December 28, 2022, MCF offered total of $697,500 in grants to 12 nonprofits throughout the Madison area. The grants address opportunities and support organizations are in five focus areas, which include learning, community development, arts and culture, environment, and organizational capacity building. To support “Art, History and Culture”, the MCF grant will be used by the Madison Public Market Foundation to support art at the Public Market, particularly works celebrating Madison’s Indigenous, Black, Hmong and Latinx artists and communities. Read more.
Author: James Shulkin
Mayor’s Statement on the Passage of the 2023 Budget and Public Market Funding
I am very glad that the Common Council took another look at the plans for the Madison Public Market and gave it some thoughtful consideration. The Council expressed strong support for the Market Ready participants and I agree that the equity and empowerment aspects of the project are its most exciting features. I look forward to the Public Market becoming a reality.
This budget puts our money where our values are, building a better Madison that will be strong and resilient for years to come. I thank the Common Council for unanimously adopting the budget. – Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway
Source: Mayor’s Office, City of Madison, November 17, 2022
Great news! Common Council votes 17 – 3 to save the Public Market
Great News! The City’s Common Council alders voted 17 – 3 to request $4.5 million from the TID #36! Initially, Alders Syed Abbas, Regina Vidaver and Nasra Wehelie proposed using up to $6 million from a robust TIF district on the East Washington Avenue corridor to close the gap, but the council on Wednesday, November 16, supported an option to deliver $4.5 million in TIF given the county’s contribution and the potential for other savings. This vote is an extremely important vote of confidence for the Market’s construction, and allows us to actively plan for construction. Visit the In the News page to read the media coverage for this important development.
Common Council could decide fate of the Public Market – Call to action for 11/15 Council Meeting
This is the final moment!
The fate of the Madison Public Market and the many opportunities for building equity-based wealth in Greater Madison will be decided by the City’s Common Council next week.
There is a path forward for the Public Market!
Over the last few weeks, there has been renewed energy and public support for the Market.
- The County Board of Supervisors included $1.5M towards the Public Market in its approved capital budget last week.
- Multiple media stories and editorials have supported the Market.
- MarketReady vendors shared their dreams for the Public Market in a short video.
City Alders Syed Abbas, Regina Vidaver, and Nasra Wehelie have proposed a budget amendment to the City’s 2023 Capital Budget that provides up to $6 million to cover the Market’s unexpected funding gap. The Madison Common Council will vote THIS WEEK on this amendment. If it’s approved into the capital budget, the Public Market will FINALLY break ground next spring.
We need your help one last time!
As the Common Council considers additional funding for the Market, it’s important that we the public share one more time why the Public Market is important to you.
1. Attend tomorrow’s 11/15 Capital Budget Public Hearing at 5:30pm in person and register to speak or simply register in support but not wishing to speak. (details below)
2. Attend tomorrow’s 11/15 Capital Budget Public Hearing at 5:30pm virtually and register to speak (details below)
3. If you aren’t able to attend the Public Hearing, email the Council at [email protected] by 5pm tomorrow (more details below)
Take Action by 5pm Tomorrow!
1. Attend tomorrow’s (11/15) Common Council Capital Budget Public Hearing in person.
City-County Building
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 201
5:30pm
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 201
5:30pm
You can register in support and speak, you can register in support and not speak, or you can register in support and be available for questions. All of these options are highly impactful. Make sure that somewhere on the registration form you write that you are in support of the Public Market amendment.
2. Attend tomorrow’s (11/15) Common Council Capital Budget Public Hearing virtually and register to speak in support of the Market. You can register online by clicking here.
3. If you aren’t able to attend the meeting in person or virtually, then send an email to [email protected] by tomorrow at 5pm. Simply state that you support the Madison Public Market funding amendment and provide your home address. 1-2 sentences is all that is needed.
Urgent and Immediate Call To Action: Save the Madison Public Market!
We need your help! To help convince Mayor Rhodes-Conway and Common Council members that the community is solidly behind the Public Market, a groundswell of support must be shown.
The Public Market Foundation has fulfilled its commitment to raise a significant amount of money for the project, developed a brand and marketing strategy, worked with City staff to complete the design process, and engaged the community to create a strong foundation for a successful Market. The project is shovel-ready!
Despite the progress made to bring our dream to fruition, the proposed Madison Public Market is again in danger!
A sudden and unexpected funding crisis has developed. Recently, the City withdrew its application from a $3.45M Federal Government Economic Development Administration grant opportunity, a vital part of the funding plan. Because of the nearly two-year pandemic-induced delay, anticipated costs of construction subject to inflation may add an estimated $1.8M. The project now has a $5.25M gap in funding.
The Mayor’s 2023 capital budget reauthorizes the current $7M in TID funding, but does not include additional City dollars to fill the $5.25M gap. As the Market is a City project, we must implore the City to immediately fill the funding gap to keep the project moving forward. The $5.25M can come from the E. Washington Corridor TID#36, instead of general borrowing. This TID is spinning off $10M annually for the next five years, meant to be reinvested in city economic develoment projects. The Public Market is a perfect use for these dollars.
Market funding will be discussed by City Alders when the capital budget goes to the Finance Committee in mid-September. This is our chance to have the additional $5.25M amended to the 2023 City capital budget.
Your supportive emails to the Common Council members are crucial, now more than ever. Please ask them to add $5.25M to the 2023 Capital budget. If this doesn’t occur, the Market will face yet another significant delay. Your messages to the Alders should occur prior to the September 12 Finance Committee meeting, and again before they meet to approve the Capital Budget on September 28. Messaging should continue as often as possible until such time that the Common Council votes on the Capital Budget in November.
A quick note to the alders is great! Please clearly say that you are strongly supportive of the Madison Public Market. If you wish to say more, we have provided “talking points” you may wish to use in your communications with the Alders. Write to them at:
Common Council Alders: [email protected] or https://www.cityofmadison.com/Council/contact/
To find email addresses of your individual Council Alder: https://www.cityofmadison.com/Council/councilMembers/alders.cfm
Madison Public Market Foundation Receives $4 Million Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant
Governor Tony Evers, at an event held on February 24, announced that the City of Madison will receive $6 million and Dane County will receive nearly $15 million as part of the Neighborhood Investment Fund grant program. Of the amount provided to the City, $4 million is designated towards the creation of the proposed Madison Public Market. The funds were made available by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and are intended to assist local governments and nonprofits working to restore economic activity in Wisconsin following the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Governor’s statement, these funds will be used for community development projects that expand affordable housing, bolster economic, social, and cultural opportunities, and support business development and entrepreneurship. Other Grant recipients include the Black Business Hub, the Center for Black Excellence & Culture, Bayview Foundation and Centro Hispano.
“We are especially pleased that funding has been made available for the proposed Madison Public Market, and that this shovel-ready project has been recognized by the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration as an important business development endeavor, working to restore economic activity following the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jamaal Stricklin, Madison Public Market Foundation board chair.
The proposed Madison Public Market is a collaboration between the City of Madison, which owns the former Fleet Services Building at First Street and East Johnson Street, and the Madison Public Market Foundation, which will operate the Market at that location. The Public Market is a vital food and equity-based economic development initiative that is mission-driven to create jobs and new businesses, and to establish an iconic welcoming destination for all.
Stricklin adds, “The Public Market will be a real boost to the regional economy and will benefit substantially from these construction-related funds. Most importantly, we look forward to creating new business development opportunities for regional food entrepreneurs and crafts persons, with an emphasis on those owned and operated by people of color, women, and first generation immigrants. We are thankful that this new funding source will bring us closer to our financial goal, resulting in a market that is welcoming for both visitors to the city as well as local residents looking for a regular shopping or dining experience.”
The City of Madison, led by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and the economic development team, have been essential and invaluable partners to the Madison Public Market Foundation in bringing the Market to fruition.
As reported in a Wisconsin State Journal article covering the Governor’s announcement, the City is prepared to move forward with the Market’s construction. “The market’s financing piece is now “locked in,” said Matt Wachter, city planning, community and economic director. The city can now pursue a construction contract, contracts with the operator, the Madison Public Market Foundation, and seek other final approvals for the project, he said.
“With this funding, we will be breaking ground this year in November,” said Madison Public Market Foundation board member Anne Reynolds. “There’s been so much uncertainty over the past two years, but now we finally have some certainty. It’s really exciting. We are confident that the Market will be a cultural jewel, showcasing the very best of our diverse food history, arts, music and crafts.”
Annually, the Market will attract 500,000+ visitors, support 130 new and existing local businesses through permanent and temporary vending space and generate $16 – $20 million in local sales.
The former Fleet Services Building at 202 N. First Street is a 1960s era industrial garage ideally designed and sized for the proposed Market activities. As the final pieces of funding are secured and the necessary City of Madison approvals occur, the building is expected to begin transitioning to Public Market development activity later this year. Market construction is expected to begin in late 2022, with an anticipated opening in late 2023.
More than 200 businesses have completed the Vendor Interest Form to express desire to operate within the Public Market. Some are well-established local businesses interested in the Public Market as a new location to grow their enterprise. Several prospective vendors are interested in a larger space for a restaurant, a bakery, a larger retail space, or food production facility.
The Public Market’s proposed Food Innovation Center will offer new and existing small busineses affordable space as well as access to specialized food preparation, packaging and distribution facilities. New food product testing can easily be arranged by offering samples to Market visitors. The Food Innovation Center will be a complementary space operating in support of existing commercial kitchens available to small businesses.
Year End Update: 2022 will be the year that our Public Market breaks ground!
Friends,
As we look ahead to a new year, we are more hopeful than ever that our Public Market will FINALLY become a reality in Madison. We can’t thank you enough, donors and friends, for continuing to support and believe in this exciting project.
Our progress continues toward a groundbreaking in fall of 2022. Our forward momentum includes:
- New community supporters: Despite the challenges, the community continues to help us move the Market forward. We’ve received support from a variety of generous corporate and philanthropic leaders in 2021. (see below)
- State funding opportunities: Both the City of Madison and the Madison Public Market Foundation submitted grants for WI recovery funding. Because of construction delays and other unforeseen challenges, the project has a funding gap that can be mostly filled by these opportunities.
- Federal EDA grant: Throughout 2021, City staff have been meeting with representatives at EDA to secure this important federal funding. We expect a final award in early 2022.
- Weekly progress: For the last year, the City of Madison staff and Madison Public Market Foundation have been meeting every week to keep the project moving forward. We greatly appreciate our wonderful team at the City.
We are so close to putting shovels in the ground, and it’s critical that we are successful. We continue to receive requests for affordable space in the Market, as businesses struggle and look for options.
Together, we can build a community-focused iconic destination that celebrates the best of Madison, supports 100+ small businesses every year, and puts minority-owned businesses front and center.
If you haven’t already, please consider the Market for your seasonal giving. The more folks who join with us, the sooner we can open the doors.
Happy Holidays and New Year!
Jamaal Stricklin, Chair
Madison Public Market Foundation
Judge’s Ruling re: Homeless Shelter Bodes Well for Market’s Progress
The City of Madison has been hosting a men’s homeless shelter in the former Fleet Services building since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Recently, the Common Council approved the purchase of a vacant big box location on Zeier Road, near East Towne. The City intends to use this site as a temporary location for the men’s shelter and continues to search for a permanent location. A private lawsuit was filed seeking to prevent the re-location of the homeless shelter to the Zeier Road site. In a favorable development for the commencement of Market construction, slated for fall 2022, a judge has declined to halt the City’s plans for the temporary shelter, allowing the City to proceed with their temporary shelter plans. Read the Madison.com article describing the details of the lawsuit and the judge’s decision.
Small Business Spotlight: Melly Mel’s owner prepares for permanent storefront at Public Market
Please take a moment to watch this wonderful spotlight on Carmel Jackson and her dream of being a Public Market vendor. We are so enamored with her dedication to the Market and love of great food.
https://www.channel3000.com/small-business-spotlight-melly-mels-owner-prepares-for-permanent-storefront-6-years-after-closing-original-restaurant/
Channel 3000: Madison Public Market remains on track to open in 2023, despite site’s current use as homeless shelter
Special thanks to Channel 3 / Channel 3000 for their feature story of October 12. The reporter notes that the Madison Public Market, more than 15 years in the making, remains on track to open by fall 2023, and the Fleet Buiding’s current use as a temporary men’s homeless shelter will not change that timeline. Read the article and watch the video on the station’s webpage.
