Author: mapubmrktadmin

City of Madison Public Market Info & Feedback Session

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The City of Madison has scheduled another Info & Public Feedback Session for September 5, 2019. Public input has been a core piece of the planning process, incorporating thousands of public comments through surveys, public input sessions, and Taste of the Market events over the last few years. This is your next chance to see more detailed plans and provide feedback before the design team finalizes the design plans and the City moves forward with the design approval process.

Members of the Design Team, led by MSR Design, the Public Market Development Committee, the Madison Public Market Foundation, and the City of Madison Office of Economic Development will present the latest plans and collect feedback.

The event will be open-house style with a presentation and Q&A panel starting shortly after 6:00 PM. After the panel, there will be small breakout groups for anyone who wants to approach and ask specific questions with the team.

Information & Feedback Session Details
Thursday, September 5
6:00 PM
Madison Municipal Building
215 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Room 215

At the meeting, the public will view detailed designs that highlight the mix of experiences that will be offered within this unique community building.  City Staff and the project architects will share information about the mix and layout of merchants at the market, the event spaces, informal gathering areas, the market kitchen, outdoor plazas, and potential community arts/exhibit spaces.  There will also be an update on pedestrian, bike and car access, building entries and landscaping plans.  Finally, staff will share how sustainability features will be included in the design, such as  innovative water conservation techniques, solar panels, and natural ventilation.

RSVP on Facebook (optional)

Welcome Our New Project Manager, Megan Ballard

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The Madison Public Market Foundation is pleased to welcome Megan Ballard as our new Project Manager. Megan previously served as the Treasurer of the Board.

A Message from Megan

After serving as the Treasurer for the Madison Public Market Foundation, I am excited to shift into the role of Project Manager for the Board of Directors. In my new role, I will work with the Board to facilitate completion of multiple projects as we prepare to break ground on the Madison Public Market in 2020. I will also take an active role in community outreach and engagement as the dream of our public market becomes a reality.

While the City of Madison works diligently to finalize construction plans, I will be working with the Foundation Board to implement its operating plan. I am building relationships with public market operators across the country, recently completing tours of NewBo Market in Cedar Rapids, IA, Logan Street Market in Louisville, KY and Findlay Market in Cincinnati, OH. We’ve gathered amazing insights from our peers as we begin to define our vendor selection process. Other key initiatives we are working on this summer include developing and implementing a brand strategy; securing public art for the project; and continuing to grow the capacity and operations of the Madison Public Market Foundation (future operator of the Market) in preparation for opening in 2021.

In addition to working with the Madison Public Market, I recently joined Madison Commercial Real Estate as a Sales Associate specializing in retail brokerage services. Prior to joining MCRE, most of my career has been spent in the commercial real estate industry, managing and leasing shopping malls.

I am originally from Iowa, relocating to Madison from Minneapolis in 2016. I’m an active member of Downtown Rotary and Downtown Madison Inc. I enjoy living on the Isthmus and taking in everything our beautiful City has to offer.

Thank you to all the dedicated individuals and organizations that have worked tirelessly on the project and to our donors and supporters. We would not be here without you! The Madison Public Market will be an amazing asset to our community and I could not be more thrilled to join the team!

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out at
[email protected].

Sneak Peek of the Future Public Market on May 8!

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Wednesday, May 8
5-7 PM
200 N. First Street (Fleet Services Building)

Join the City of Madison and the Madison Public Market Foundation on Wednesday, May 8 to share feedback on updated designs for the Madison Public Market and to tour the building that will be the Market’s future home.

Our design team has begun their work and we are looking to hear your thoughts on the initial plans. You’ll get an update on the latest designs for the Market, a chance to sample tasty treats and view unique artisan crafts from local merchants, and a first look at the unique Fleet Services building that will soon be the Market’s home.

Stop by this open house style, free event! Online RSVP appreciated, but not required.

You can also visit our Facebook event page.

For more information about the event or about Madison’s first Public Market, contact us at [email protected]

Merchants
These new business and local favorites will be at this event providing free samples and full portions of their delicious cuisine for sale. Try them all!

Artesan Fruit
Bohemian Bauble
Caracas Empanadas
Ember Foods
Café Social
Grasshopper Goods
Just Coffee
Madre Yerba
Savvy Pet Foods
QB’s Magnetic Creations
Melly Mels
Landmark Creamery
Perfect Imperfections
Madame Chu Delicasies
SuperCharge! Foods
Ugly Apple

Opportunities to learn and give feedback
The Public Market Design team has produced the first draft of updated plans for the Market. This is your opportunity to provide feedback and be a part of the process. Interactive stations set up around the event will include topics such as:

Guiding Design Principles and Priorities
Site Plan
Floor Plan/Vendor Layout
Market Kitchen
Event Space
Sustainability Features

Getting to the Event
Getting to our Market home is easy! Fleet Services is located at the corner of E. Johnson and First Street. Vehicle parking for this event is available in the shopping mall lot at the corner of First St. and E. Wash. You can plan your bus ride with Madison Metro on Google Maps.

Common Council Approves Collaboration, Design Team

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On Tuesday, the City of Madison Common Council made significant progress in moving forward the development of the Madison Public Market. In three resolutions sponsored by alders Larry Palm, Amanda Hall, and Marsha Rummel, the Council approved the Collaboration Agreement with the Madison Public Market Foundation and city staff’s recommendation for architect and engineering design services.

In approving the Collaboration Agreement with the Madison Public Market Foundation, the City officially empowers the Foundation to select vendors to operate within the Public Market, hire staff to operate the Market, advise and provide input on the final design, and secure funds to ensure the successful launch of the Market. Along with these responsibilities, the City grants the Foundation seed funding to move forward with a complete operating agreement.

“We are excited to launch into this next phase of the Public Market development in an official collaborative capacity with the City of Madison,” said Jamaal Stricklin, President of the Board of the Madison Public Market Foundation. “With the selection of the architecture team and the collaboration agreement in place, we can see some real forward progress toward opening the doors of the Market in 2021.”

In October 2018, after reviewing 11 proposals from Madison and around the country, City staff put forth a recommendation to the Common Council to engage an architecture and engineering team led by Minneapolis-based Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle (MSR) to complete the design of the Madison Public Market building. With Tuesday’s approval by the Common Council, MSR can start the design process for the site at the corner of First Street and E. Johnson Street.

This development marks a significant milestone in making the Madison Public Market a community-driven, inclusive destination for the Madison region. You can be part of the initial momentum with a gift today.

Madison Magazine: City with a Heart

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January 29, 2019. Madison’s nonprofits provide critical services that ensure the city’s rich resources are accessible to all its residents. In turn, they rely on the support of donors and the larger business community. So many private business leaders step up to the plate every day, knowing their employees value service and the opportunity to give back. These efforts not only benefit the populations each nonprofit intends to serve, but all of us. This is good, old-fashioned, genuine community building, and it’s alive and well in Madison. With this section, we honor our local nonprofits and the companies that go the extra mile to keep them running strong.

Madison Public Market

Imagine a bustling, vibrant, 45,000-square-foot public market showcasing the best of Madison’s local food and handmade goods. A treasured destination and important economic driver melding a 21st century local food economy with innovation and growth, particularly for communities that traditionally face barriers to entrepreneurism. Yet another spectacular landmark for which this city becomes famously known: Capitol Square. Monona Terrace. The Overture Center for The Arts. And, in 2021, the Madison Public Market.

“When we look at the best cities across our country and the world, most of them have thriving, colorful public markets. Madison is long overdue for a public market of our own,” said Jamaal Stricklin, Madison Public Market Foundation president.

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MarketReady 2018: By the Numbers and the People Behind the Numbers

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Special thanks to our guest blogger, James Shulkin, member of the Madison Public Market Advisory Council!

It’s been just over a year since the inception of the MarketReady Program, an effort to prepare a number of talented chefs, makers and other entrepreneurs with the skills needed to create successful businesses. Funded by the City of Madison and launched in partnership with North Side Planning Council, FEED Kitchens, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation and Dane County University of Wisconsin Extension, MarketReady provides business training, mentorship, and start-up capital ($37,500 in 2018) to a diverse group of thirty area merchants. The goal has always been that, with the right kind of encouragement, these individuals might some day become successful vendors at the highly anticipated Madison Public Market.

As 2018 comes to a close, we look back on the resounding success of both the MarketReady Program and the individuals that have contributed so much to these efforts.

The MarketReady vendors are a special group. They are mostly women (63%) and people of color (83%). Thirty three percent (33%) are first generation immigrants. In fact, MarketReady focuses on supporting communities that face structural barriers to business ownership. Specifically, the program was created to Encourage and stimulate the creation and acceleration of businesses owned and operated by women, persons of color, the economically disadvantaged and others in need of a new career path.

The majority of these businesses offer food products, with some selling textiles, artwork, body care products or other services. You may be familiar with some of the more visible vendors such as Laurel Burleson (Ugly Apple Café), Josey Chu (Madame Chu), Luis Dompablo (Caracas Empanadas), Jasmine Banks (Perfect Imperfections), Donale Richards (Off the Block Enterprises) and Monica O’Conell (Curtis & Cake), to name a few. All of the MarketReady merchants can be found here.

Led by Ian Aley, MarketReady Coordinator, and Michael Miller, City of Madison Business Assistance Specialist, the organization’s staff provides and arranges for training of all kinds, providing financial services, technical assistance, referrals and access to micro-grants.

“The MarketReady staff and I are humbled and inspired by the group’s hard work, sense of humor, and willingness to share ideas,” says Aley. “We facilitate connections, but so much of the creativity, experience, and strength comes from within this group of entrepreneurs.”

During the first year of the MarketReady program, direct services to the vendors included:

  • educational events and workshops (1,046 hours)
  • direct business consultation (585 hours)
  • business coaching (181 hours)
  • peer-to-peer support sessions (29)

Partnerships with the University of Wisconsin Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic, the law firm Boardman & Clark and Heartland Credit Union have provided consultation and coaching to participants.

The MarketReady vendors have also given back to the community, including directly to those future Public Market visitors particularly anxious to sample product offerings. To date, more than 2,000 people have attended three “Taste of the Market” events featuring many of the vendors. In addition, 14 MarketReady participants offered 37 classes at Meadowridge Public Library, providing an opportunity to test recipes, make sales, and connect with neighbors across the city.

“We look forward to the opening of the Public Market,” adds Aley. “In the meantime, this community of vendors will continue to develop new product lines, hone their business plans, and build relationships with customers and each other. There is a strong sense in the group that the success of one business in the Public Market will be tied to the success of their neighbors. We will continue to build capacity and connections. When the Public Market opens, we will be ready.”

Wisconsin State Journal: Know Your Madisonian: Former UW-Madison employee, longtime Public Market advocate sees project close to reality

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May 11, 2018. For more than 20 years Anne Reynolds made a career out of assisting cooperatives from nationally recognized brands, such as Ocean Spray, as well as local outlets such as Willy Street Co-op.

Although she retired as executive director of UW-Madison’s Center for Cooperatives in January, Reynolds remains busy with her involvement in the Madison Public Market project. She leads the city’s Public Market Development Committee, which is guiding development of the $11.8 million project planned at the intersection of East Washington Avenue and North First Street.

Reynolds, 64, also sits on the board of directors for the Madison Public Market Foundation, which is conducting private fundraising for the project and was recently selected to be the market’s operator when it opens as early as 2020.

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Wisconsin State Journal: Food Innovation Center can boost availability of local foods in region

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September 24, 2017. If a vibrant Market Hall filled with vendors, events and music delivers the pizzazz to the Madison Public Market, the adjacent Food Innovation Center offers enormous potential to increase the availability of local foods throughout the region, supporters say.

The three-story, 15,000- square-foot food-processing facility and training center for food-based workers will be attached to the market.

The innovation center will include food processing and storage capacities to meet the needs of vendors in the market, but also include larger-scale food-processing opportunities focused on getting more local food to bigger buyers, city business manager Daniel Kennelly said.

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Wisconsin State Journal: From momos to children’s books, cultural diversity at heart of Madison Public Market

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September 24, 2017. Using her grandmother’s long-lost recipes, Singapore native Josey Chu spends more than eight hours making each batch of salty peanut myonya and other sauces.

Angel Torres and Leticia Flores, natives of Mexico, grow corn at a cooperative in Verona and use the grain to make organic tortillas at a community kitchen on the North Side, selling them at local farmers’ markets.

After her mother died from cancer, Madison native Jasmine Banks began to research the ingredients we put into our bodies and started making personal care products for herself and others and, with the encouragement of friends, now sells them on a small scale.

The city hopes these local entrepreneurs and 27 others will help forge the heart and soul of the coming, $14 million Madison Public Market.

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