What's your take on plans for the Roanoke City Market Building?

[Update 02/03/09: A Washingon, D.C.-based architectural firm met with food court vendors and retailers to talk about possibilities for the building's future.]

 . I would like to see the building become an extension of the outdoor market. The downtown market needs a mixture of retail, food vendors, coffee shop, flower market, bakery, deli, meat/fish market, etc. If another Hotel is ever built downtown this facility will compliment the visitors to the downtown area. The concept of a food court was a start and it has been successful. Visit the Chelsea Market in New York City. Roanoke could do well with a mini-version.

The plans for the Roanoke City Market Building are sure to be impressive.  What disappoints me is that we have to pay this crazy amount of money for some plans.  Worse yet, it feels like the local community gets no opportunity for input regarding these plans. 

Maybe I'm just being a little too wishy-washy, but I think it would be nice if the community could partake in a design contest for the Market Building.  There may be a winner, but the design does not have to be accepted as the final design.  A contest like this would generate incredible participation from the local community, it would yield some great creative suggestions, and it would make it less painful to hear that Roanoke has no creative talent so that we have to turn to outside resources for solutions with our designs.

 I believe a new and improved market building could be a huge asset to downtown Roanoke.  With that said, why is the city spending another $120,000 on yet a THIRD study?  Roanoke can't afford this study right now and it certainly won't build a new market building any time soon. 

The city laid off about 30 employees last year with more cuts likely this year (through attrition).  Schools need funding, public safety is running at minimum capacity and is downsized annually.  Employee raises were 2% last year and we've been told that there will be no raises this year (possibly next year as well).  Morale is low from citizens and employees alike. 

This is somewhat off the topic but very much a question that needs to be answered.  If "employees are the city's best asset," then why is it we are taking the hits financially and Roanoke city continues to spend itself into a deep hole?  Three studies for a market building, $100k for rented artwork downtown, a new mayor's statue--all nice things to have but NOT ESSENTIAL.  Spend money on what is important--teachers, firefighters, police and infrastructure.  We don't need all these extraneous ammenities in the wake of a failing economy.  Wake up residents and take control of your city.  Demand fiscal responsibility from your leaders.

No!  No!  No!  -  No Consensus Allowed

Roanoke isn't about consensus and progress.  It's about political entertainment.  I've only been back in the area for three years and I really enjoy the squabbling, name calling, posturing, and general political indecisiveness that you produce.  And thankfully you produce it over EVERY issue.  From the old stadium to the riverside park to the museum to the downtown market.  How many years did it take you to tear down that stadium?  Even after the flood made it unusable?  It took rats to force you to seriously look at the market.  The back and forth waffling on Mill Mountain is something I look forward to reading every Sunday.  You can't decide anything.  And you're wonderfully loud about it.  The entertainment factor really is priceless.

But I've seen disturbing signs of a backbone in the valley. 

# You did finally tear down the stadium.

# You might actually prosecute one of your corrupt politicians.

# The rats brought agreement that SOMETHING must be done with the market building.

So stop it.  Right now!!!!!  No more Consensus.  No more Agreement.  What would the paper write about?  Progress?  What fun is that?  This is Roanoke.  Someone should file a lawsuit to tear down the Market Building and build a 12 story condiminium site or something.  Don't you have any slimy developers that want the land?

Wait a minute.  Maybe it's not so bad.  You still don't know what to do with the stadium land.  It took the state police to investigate your ONE  (wink, wink) corrupt politician and he isn't on trial yet.  Agreeing on a plan for the market building isn't the same as actually starting construction/renovation.  You haven't done five studies on the parks and amphitheatre thing yet.  I just know that new museum will cause consternation between the have's and have not's in the valley.  And Noah's ark would have to be found on Mill Mountain for you to agree on something for that.

OK.  Sorry.  OK.  Lost my head.  You're still Roanoke.  Whew!

Don't scare me like that again.

 Not only is it absurd wasting money on a third study, not very responsible sending money to a firm in DC when there are plenty of capable firms in the Roanoke Valley.  This day and age, keep our money in our community, it's not rocket science.

A nice start but too conservative.  This will just patch it for another round of mediocrity.

1. Get rid of mezzanine.  No one uses it now and no one will ever use it. 

2. Ditto for third floor, which is a firetrap anyway.  I have been around the city market building for forty years and have never even seen the third floor. 

3. Open three-story cathedral ceilings with skylights will make the place really cool. 

4. Exterior full wall windows are nice.  Make sure we can open them in nice weather.  Like top photo here: http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/wp-content/uploads/0908neighborhood_jackson.jpg  This restaurant in Reston is extremely successful and the open exterior bar with overhead gas heaters is a three-season success story.  It is equipped with sliding glass doors to close up in the wintertime.

5. Close off the streets in the entire market and turn it into a pedestrian mall.  That is the only way to make the place truly successful.  The traffic through the area makes it impossible to enjoy exterior dining.  Might as well be eating next to a caterpillar bulldozer with the exhaust flowing directly in your face.  Traffic is ugly, dangerous, rude and noisy as all get-out.  Get rid of it all in a three-block space, please. Close down Campbell between Jefferson and Williamson.  Close Market and Wall Streets beside the market building, and close First St. from market square to Kirk. 

6. Now add your tables and chairs, concerts in the square, and outdoor dining.

 I agree with travel guy.  Its a shame Roanoke doesn't have a 'WholeFoods' type setup ( check out WholeFoods in Atlanta) in the market building. You have condos, lofts, hotels and no place to buy fresh foods, organic food, wine, etc.  Expand your horizons.   a setting like Ukrops in the market building probably would have been more successful than where it was placed.