See also: *Want To Fix The Farmers Market? Ditch The Cars.
Earlier this week, news leaked that a proposal submitted by Spectrum Properties detailing its plans for privatizing the Farmers Market had been tentatively accepted. The development company is responsible for Third Rail Lofts, an apartment complex that offers downtown luxury living not all that far from the sheds that may soon be torn down.The RFP allowed for a percentage of the market space to be demolished for apartments, parking and other mixed-use space, but that number was subject to negotiation.
Debbie Bozeman, tpresident of the Dallas Farmers Market Friends, was asked to sit in on the committee that drafted the RFP. She said 60 percent of the existing market was required to be retained in the effort, but has no idea what is specified in Spectrum's proposal. The only people privy to those numbers are the Farmers Market Privatization Review Team, and they're not talking.
"The plan will not be public for several months," said Ryan Evans, who serves on the review team. "Assuming a successful real estate and operating negotiation, we hope to present it to the council's quality of life committee at the end of this calendar year or the beginning of 2013."
So for now it's sit on our produce crates and wait.
Bozeman points out that those negotiations could stall, causing City Hall to have to choose a backup developer and start the negotiations all over again. For now, she'll keep working with her nonprofit organization to promote events, cull vendors and work on projects to dress up the place, but she doesn't know how long.
"Until somebody buys it and I guess they don't need us anymore," she said.
