David Reid, EcoSociety, himself confirms - Committee of the Whole, 21 March, 2016 - what I for some time had been calling the possibility of a Tom Thomson/David Reid Axis. A power-sharing vision of Railtown. Possibility then - clear intention now. The one, single, only mention - period - of Railtown during his presentation. Two poles: the new Chamber of Commerce quarters in the CPR Station to the north - a new (part-time) Cottonwood Market to the south. According to him. The rest - seemingly - filler of incidental concern.
Also see post
To/At/From THE HEART
14 Dec. 2015
Even though a new market will be non-operational most of the week, month, year. A fact - no matter what band-shell, markets, concerts, weddings, group-picnics, trade shows, theatre, festivals etc. are proposed for there to gloss-over this fact. But how could he miss with BBQ spots: the fragrance of frying dead animals wafting through all of the above is certain to be a winner - particularly with surely present undesirables and dogs. People's Park.
All this in the rather small space left after configuring the market proper, access, parking, various storage-facilities and toilets. But packing them in real tight like to make them appear more than they are is part of the architect's oeuvre.
Another layer of the gloss: area food security - according to Reid - made possible through (t)his market. Only! Not the Wednesday-one on Baker - nor any others anywhere in the area or just anywhere. The Co-op is bound to love this one!
In the Beginning
the real Cottonwood Market is torn down single-handed by Kevin Cormack, City Manager - unapproved by Council.
Then - a City-Staff-generated Request for Decision asks Council to fund a pre-plan plan by Cover Architectural Collaborative for a new market with taxpayered $12.600. Council promptly approves: a shopping-list - basically.
While this would be the time to ask customers/vendors specific questions about what specifically they liked about the old market and specifically expect of the new: it does not happen!
But is left to the architect and David Reid: the latter totally in charge of fundraising for the market and really in charge of the whole thing - well, with Kevin Cormack, always Kevin Cormack, but certainly not Council - while the market is to be built on municipal property and owned by the City. Plus - be still, poor heart! - Reid plans to open for business within a few months! With Council showing no concern.
Immediate demolition of the old market is deemed crucial because City-engineers find - just like that and never before: structures are totally unfit for human consumption. No written report on this is volunteered by Staff or demanded by Council.
The Request includes an anonymous community business-partner ... also dealing in wood - who wants to participate in the new market, while making a significant (financial) contribution to it nudge-nudge. Council neither insists on knowing his name and how-much nor asks for clarification of the appropriateness of this beautiful friendship.
Also see post
The Arrogance of Wood-Rail-Cotton-Town Who
4 Jan. 2016
After never having been shown the pre-plan plan - we eventually get to see the real thing as a done deal - surprise, surprise! - in the Railtown public-input presentation. Everything else is only general ideas on district-development. Not so the farmers' market - that's locked-in: Reid going it solo.
This also is telling of his king-of-the-castle attitude. While there had to be a pre-plan plan - various sketched ideas tossed around - these were not shown to those paying for that phase. Us. Meaning: our input at that crucial time is found what? Unnecessary? A bother?
While $12.600 were for the pre-plan plan only - one wonders about the designers' fees for what they actually definitively come-up with beyond it. Council?
Particularly as what they do come-up with does not take customers/vendors into account as feeling, thinking people - just crowds to be manipulated in a computer-game.
The plan is a wet dud!
Also see post
Input: The Farmers' Market
1 Mar. 2016
Because of an image-thing - what else? - Reid is leaving out from his presentation why the re-birth of his Vanity Fair won't happen for the upcoming season - in fact - not until 2017. If then.
Considering the unpopularity of Kalesnikoff Lumber in/around Glade these days - for reasons well part of the EcoSociety's usual desk-thumping: it is astonishing-or-not to see their coziness with Reid in connection with the farmers' market.
LETTER: Skepticism about logging warranted
Nelson Star, 21 Mar. 2016
But then - Reid is rumored to have political ambitions. Need I say more!
Image problems all around!
Big ones!
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