The open house is scheduled for 5-7 p.m., May 8, 200 N. First Street, Madison. During the open house, the public will have opportunities to share feedback on updated designs for the Madison Public Market, sample food, meet future vendors and see the building. This is the first time the public will be able to step foot in the building, confirmed as the future home of the market.

The public will get to engage in design topics such as: design principles and priorities, site plan, floor plan, vendor layout, market kitchen, event space and sustainability features.

The vision

The Madison Public Market will be a year-round, inclusive and welcoming community destination. It will feature a diverse group of entrepreneurs. The market will also offer fresh produce from local farmers, culturally diverse prepared food, locally-made food products, and handcrafted arts and crafts.

The vendors

In all, there will be 35-45 permanent merchants in the market. There will also be a rotating mix of temporary and pop-up vendors. There will be vendors from both startup and established business perspectives. Some of the Public Market's vendors will be graduates of the City's MarketReady Program, which provides training, supportive services and micro-grants for a diverse group of entrepreneurs trying to launch businesses in the Madison Public Market.  

The building

The Madison Public Market will be located at 200 N. First Street in Madison, which is currently a building that houses city fleet vehicles, known as Fleet Services. The building was originally constructed in 1953. The market will sit on an approximately 3.5-acre piece of city-owned land. The City will vacate the Fleet Services Garage on First Street in 2020. Fleet Services will relocate to a new facility at 4141 Nakoosa Trail. The Madison Public Market is expected to be approximately 43,000 square feet.

The budget

The Madison Public Market is a $13 million project. The City of Madison has included $7.5 million in the City's Capital Budget. The Madison Public Market Foundation launched a campaign to raise $4 million for the project. Of the $4 million, $2.5 million will go to the building project, and $1.5 million will be used for future market operations. The $1.5 million was not included in the City's Capital Budget. The Market anticipates receiving equity through the tax credit program of $3 million (20 percent of total project costs). State and federal grants and tax increment financing may also support a part of project costs.   

The City of Madison will maintain ownership of the building. The Madison Public Market Foundation, an independent non-profit organization, will manage and operate the facility.

The timeline

• May 8, 2019: Open house for public to share feedback on designs, experience vendors
• Fall 2019: Design complete
• Summer 2020: Construction bidding
• Fall 2020: Fleet Services moves to new facility at 4141 Nakoosa Trail
• Fall 2020: Ground breaking for Madison Public Market
• Fall 2021: Madison Public Market opens, scheduled completion

Please follow the progress of the Madison Public Market at the following resources:  
https://marketreadymadison.org/ 
http://madisonpublicmarket.org/ 
http://madisonpublicmarket.org/connect/ 
https://www.facebook.com/events/855579251501316/ 
Online RSVP appreciated, not required for May 8 event: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/7uOFdM2EL_TyN1kQA2O1ig?t=1555535939 

Parking information for event

For anyone attending the open house, the City would like attendees to expect slower moving than normal traffic patterns around the area, and to be mindful of road construction underway on East Johnson and N First Street, which is near the Fleet Services building. The building is located at 200 N First Street, Madison, WI 53703. The City has designated parking for attendees in the Fleet building's back lot, and overflow parking at Burr Jones Park. The event entrance is located on the side of the building that faces North First Street. There are also accessible parking options. 

As always, if there is anything I can do to help, feel free to reach out: district19@cityofmadison.com

-Keith F