Busted: 7 City Market myths

MYTH: The new structure is designed so that farmers will have to park their cars on the Riverfront in order to unload.

FACT: There are three designated parking areas to separately accommodate patrons, vendors and farmers. The vendor and farmer parking areas are in the back of the development in a gated area, which loops around to the Riverfront, but the parking spaces are to the sides of and behind the Riverfront, not on it.

MYTH: The new development would ruin the Riverfront by adding clutter and obstructing the pathway.

FACT: The plans were designed to complement the Riverfront, not build on top of it. An open outdoor area will be contingent to the Riverfront so that people can use the pathway to enter, exit or pass by. But the Market property will be spacious and will in no way interfere with pedestrian traffic on the Riverfront pathway.

MYTH: Vendor rents will have to go up in order to help pay for the new building.

FACT: There are no plans to raise vendor rents in relation to this development. In fact, the green features of the new building could help keep rent down, since they will help to reduce and control energy costs.

MYTH: Building a new City Market will cause disruption for the vendors by threatening their space or causing a gap in service.

FACT: Great efforts are being taken to make the transition from the old building to the new one as seamless as possible. The City Market will continue to operate at the current site until the new one is completed, so there will be no interruption of service. All vendors in the City Market at the time of transition will be guaranteed a space in the new market.

MYTH: Relocating the market will strip it of its integrity and take away its heritage.

FACT: The plan does call for a relocation, and for a new development to be built where the current City Market is. But the plans were designed with the intention of restoring the market to the days when the City Market was a major city center and a key player in the community, and will have many resources the current market does not. These features will increase accessibility, optimize space functionality and provide a beautiful community meeting ground.

MYTH: It would be better to renovate the current City Market than to waste funds building a new one.

MYTH: The new development is built on the 100-year flood plain.

FACT: The new City Market is planned to be built within the 100-year flood plain. However, it is not within the flood way, the area in which actual flooding and damage has historically taken place. Also, the Grand River is not large enough to carry the threats of mass flooding that have recently hurt areas along the Mississippi River. Regardless, the designers have worked with the DEQ to take the potential for flooding into account with the new design, and features such as a risen structure will be in place to prevent damage.

MYTH: The new City Market will not offer enough parking.

FACT: While there is more parking at the current market than is planned at the new one, the current market only utilizes 30-45 percent of its spaces. As already mentioned, the current market will offer private reserved spaces for farmers and vendors and will also offer designated patron parking along Museum Drive. In addition to this, parking spots in a Lansing Center lot 100 feet from the City Market will be designated for City Market patrons during designated hours in correlation with the Market’s. The City is also looking into the potential benefits of providing a Tractor Trolley to transport patrons to the market on a designated day on a weekly basis. Also, the increased walkable access of the new location must be taken into account, since access along the Riverwalk will encourage a greener, less fuel-dependent lifestyle.

MYTH: A community kitchen will replace private vendor kitchens.

FACT: Individual vendors will still have access to private kitchens — it is understood that this is critical for some of the vendors. A community kitchen will be an additional feature, not a replacement, and is primarily intended to make it easier for new vendors to get their start if they are unable to afford private kitchen space, although it will be open to whoever wants to use it.

MYTH: The current City Market is a historical landmark and cannot be taken down or relocated.

FACT: The current City Market is considered a historical landmark by the State of Michigan. However, the market is only recognized as historical because it is 70 years old, and holds no other significant historical meaning. Its landmark standing does not impede the proposed plans or prevent taking down the current market.