Quick Survey: City Needs Input on Public Market Plan
What do you find when you stir fry Eau Claire’s beloved downtown farmers market, the mushrooming local food movement, and downtown redevelopment? Maybe, just maybe, you get a permanent indoor public market like the one the City of Eau Claire and its partners are pondering. With the help of a federal grant, the city is studying the feasibility of such a public market, likely in the soon-to-be-redeveloped Cannery District on the west bank of the Chippewa River. The idea isn’t to replace the downtown farmers market, but rather to build on the Valley’s growing local food scene with a flexible facility that can give consumers access to locally grown foods and beverages – as well as locally made products – on a year-round basis. Ideally, creating the market will be good for the economy, the neighborhood, and for the public’s health. The next step in building momentum for the idea is gathering public input through a short online survey, which you’ll be able to take through April 17 here:
The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, but it will help the city gather invaluable information about what the public would like to see in a market. As the survey explains, “The indoor market would provide stalls for independent, locally owned businesses (including farmers) to sell fresh and prepared foods. It might also include facilities for educational programs and events.” The feasibility study is funded by $25,000 each from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire, Marshfield Clinic, and Mayo Clinic Health System-Northwest Wisconsin. To learn more about the project, contact associate city planner Ned Noel at ned.noel@eauclairewi.gov or (715) 839-4914.
