By Chris Brockel
NPC Director of Food Systems
Construction on the long-awaited Madison Public Market (MPM) was slated to begin in November. After 15 years of waiting, it was finally close to becoming a reality. A $3.45 million federal economic development administration grant was to be applied to the project budget, and plans were in motion to transform the former city maintenance garage into the public market. Market Ready enterprises, FEED Kitchens’ entrepreneurs and farmers market vendors were preparing final plans to use this stepping stone to move to a full restaurant or year-round store, or making products on a larger scale. That was the plan anyway.
Market dealt a big financial blow
Over the summer, Matt Mikolajewski, Madison’s director of economic development, asked for updated construction quotes for the market. When the new cost estimates came in $1.7 million higher than previous projections, the shortfall meant the city and Public Market Foundation had to raise this money before the project qualified for the $3.45 million grant. Many folks and partners close to the planning and development of the Public Market were left unaware of this shortfall so time that could have been used to raise the needed funds was lost and now the city has returned the grant. The mayor has not covered the funding gap in her proposed 2023 capital budget.
So instead of a $1.7 million shortfall, a $5.15 million funding deficient has fallen to the city’s finance committee and common council to piece together a solution through tax incremental financing (TIF), the city’s capital budget and fundraising. In early September, the MPM project went before the city’s finance committee and will come before the Madison common council (over press time of this issue of the Northside News). The Northside Planning Council (NPC) and FEED Kitchens wrote a letter to the mayor and alders to show support for the project and recap the significance of the project to our organization and the Northside. After 15 years of talking and planning by supporters of local foods and minority businesses, the MPM looks to be very vulnerable without help from the city. If an opportunity for support still exists at the end of September when Northsiders receive this issue of the Northside News, they are encouraged to have a voice in the decision. It will take public pressure to keep the project alive.
Those who oppose the MPM have expressed concern surrounding its price tag and location at a busy intersection near East Washington Avenue and First Street. Others have asked if Madison can support a year-round public market. This article recaps the significance of the project to minority business owners, the Northside community, NPC and FEED Kitchens.
NPC has been a strong supporter of the Madison Public Market over the past decade. We own and operate FEED Kitchens, 1219 N. Sherman Ave., with 95 entrepreneurs and nonprofit social enterprises owned by people of color (65%) and by women (55%). We support the MPM as it is about equity for entrepreneurs of color, immigrants and women. These businesses and social enterprises consider the MPM to be the next step to jump start their business or take business growth to the next level through a permanent or itinerant vending space. This path would support their families and build generational wealth and family assets.
When the Northside TownCenter was not chosen in 2014 as a potential MPM location, the Northside Economic Development Coalition, a program of NPC, helped to advance the idea of a Food Innovation Corridor running from the Troy Community Farm, past FEED Kitchens and down North Sherman Avenue to the MPM to include the Northside in this economic development opportunity. This corridor would also solidify Madison’s place as a local food hot spot as well as support a more vibrant and responsive regional food system that can respond to changes and disruptions. We support the MPM because it is an integral part of a complete food system that goes from farm to consumer. Coming through the pandemic we have learned some tough lessons about supply chain disruption and the ability of a region to take care of its own food needs. The MPM is one of those projects that builds the infrastructure between farms outside our city limits with consumers demanding more local products.
NPC operated the Market Ready program under contract with the City of Madison to prepare a cohort of local small business entrepreneurs from groups historically not included or unable to start small businesses in our city (low-income, people of color, immigrants, veterans and women). More than 80 vendors applied, and of the 30 selected — 83% are people of color, 63% are women and 33% are first-generation immigrants. Their business plans were built around moving into the MPM. We support the market for how it will help underserved communities become successful business owners. In this post-pandemic era, this group of people do not have the resources to create a new opportunity to take its place. If the MPM is never built, it is just another financial blow layered upon pandemic losses.
FEED Kitchens has plans to open a store and pop-up restaurant space in the MPM so our packaged goods producers could have an immediate retail shelf presence and our food carts and catering chefs could keep their businesses operating year-round. The year-round demand for local food products is high and continues to grow. In August, FEED hosted the successful Black Restaurant Jamboree and Tasting for 30 black-owned food businesses in collaboration with the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce. It proved the appetite for local ethnic foods is strong and these small food vendors would do extremely well in a Public Market. If built, the MPM will support FEED, our businesses and other minority business throughout the city.
If enough people from the Northside and around the city voice their support for the funding amendment through contacting the mayor (mayor@cityofmadison.com) and alders (allalders@cityofmadison.com), the Public Market could be funded and built. City leadership needs to know how important this project is to their constituents. Let them know how significant it is for our city to sustain a robust and resilient food system and support minority business entrepreneurs. When every member of our community thrives, we all thrive — and together we prosper.