Lindsey got one of your questions, in that there are no vendors on the Market Foundation Board. One of the discussion points last week was better communication between the board and the vendors, including the possibility of having a vendor rep on the board.

As to your other question, about the board reporting to someone: I don’t think they necessarily report to anyone except the groups that appoint representatives to the board (the city, the Chamber of Commerce, DRI, etc). This is not like the Planning Commission or other Roanoke boards that are appointed by the city council; in this case the city appoints only one person to a multi-member board. Instead, this is a board of directors for a non-profit foundation.

– Mason Adams

Many people seem angry at the way the Market was redone, several have gone on to generalize that everything, or most things being done downtown are wrong. But wait a minute.

I’ve spent time in quite a few downtowns in the eastern half of the USA. In far to many cases, in towns and small cities, the downtown business districts are dying. Shops are closed and boarded up. Faded “for lease” signs hang in dirty windows. Some call this the WalMart effect, where major suburban stores draw people away from the downtown shopping districts. Whatever it’s called let’s note that it is not the case in Roanoke. In downtown Roanoke, things are happening. There is revitalization and construction projects. Yes the construction can be a pain (mess, lack of parking, business disruption) but at least they are doing something. Both private and public projects are ongoing before our eyes, and that is a very good thing – even if many of us, do not like every part of it. So we have the Tubman, the Patrick Henry, the Medical School, the Center in the Square, the Market Building. Important things are being done. Yes there are many complaints – but perhaps that is the value of a forum like this one. Perhaps some of the powers that be might be reading this discussion. Who knows, some might even consider what we have to say. So lets make ourselves clear.

You know, last night I did some shopping and then had dinner. While at the Valley View Mall I passed by Cheddar’s Restaurant. There were perhaps 20 people on the sidewalk outside the restaurant waiting to be seated. I wasn’t one of them. Instead I went to Red Jasmine, a local, independent restaurant in Vinton.

A few people here mentioned the idea of chain restaurants in the Market Building. We can debate all day long which is better, but there should be little disagreement on why they are different. Chain restaurants (like Cheddar’s) are popular because they are familiar. We’ve heard of them, we’ve been to them, our friends have been to them, and we can go again without surprises. We know what’s on the menu, what it will cost, what we like and how it will taste. So if Five Guys opens under a bridge somewhere people will seek them out despite the questionable location. But that is not the case with an independent – especially the kind of small independents that occupy the Market. At least initially, the restaurants themselves are not the draw, the place is. That’s why the redo of the Market was so disappointing to so many.

I remember the first time I was in the Market Building. It was actually my first day in Roanoke. My wife and I wandered into this really cool place. It had a worn but charming old time atmosphere and it was buzzing with people. We looked at each other and said – you want to eat here? So we tried something from the Greek place and then something form the Cuban place and when we were finished we were talking about returning so that we could try the burger place and the pizza place and eat again in such a neat atmosphere.

The Market Building itself has to be the draw. Wandering around, sitting at a table, soaking up the ambiance has to be a big part of it. Only then will the restaurants have a fair chance. Only then will someone have the opportunity to discover how great Euro Bakery is, or how delicious the items from Firefly are.

Lets assume for the moment that the people in charge of the Market are not evil masterminds that want to see the destruction of Roanoke. Lets assume they are not clueless. Lets assume they have, and will continue, to put their best efforts forward. I do not like what they have done with the market, but I applaud them for trying. Apparently, from the tenner of comments on this thread they have not done the best job. Apparently, from the evidence of the far more important dollars and cents that are not flooding into the market, they have not done the best job. But here is precisely where wise leadership is needed. Anyone can pilot the ship in calm seas. It when a storm hits that you prove you abilities. The Market Building is a historic cornerstone fixture of downtown Roanoke, and right now it is clear that it needs – and deserves, better. Lets see who steps up and starts correcting the course.

but really enjoy FF, Habana, Fork, and Euro. The others are also strong, just not my usual style.
Our city has a great heart and it is evidenced in the café culture emerging on the Habana/Fork side of the building and the good food these people are serving!
However, the interior is atmospherically mediocre and all the glass is totally insensitive to the cleaning people who have to keep the smears off of it.

My beef for years has been (and I would love if someone could answer this) is:
Why did we have to get rid of the beautiful neon sculpture that used to be in the center of the building (I know the building is totally different shape-wise now but that sculpture was such a treasure you would think it would be worth working around…
And
Why did we get rid of the lovely Swedish-style block furniture that used to be in the building and what happened to that furniture? It contributed to the warmth of the interior.
When I eat out, I often eat at the MB. You should too!

Having been in the area for only a few years, I can’t comment on what the Market Building (MB) looked like before the redo. The words I hear from so many people though is character, which the redo lacks today. There are so many things wrong with this redo, its hard to know where to start.

A simple one is the entry art work. What they did was to spend $60,000 on an out of state artist who put in something that has to be covered with heavy rubber mats every time it rains. What a complete waste. I’m going to guess we don’t get many MB visitors from that artist’s home state who come to see her work. What they should have done was offer each of the local high schools $5,000 each to hold an internal art contest and pick something appropriate from each grade level. Then place the results inside the building on the walls and around the area. There it would be seen by every visitor and likely would have been a draw for thousands and thousands of parents, friends, and family. Then every couple of years, repeat the process for new artwork.

I believe the original plan included the 4 center cubes as locations for a farmers market like produce area. What a joke that was, as they failed to notice things like “where do they park their truck, how do they restock, what kind of mess would carting produce in and out cause”. That’s before you consider the issue of rent…

This past week I spent an hour eating a late lunch with a visiting relative in the MB. There were few people inside at the time, but I was amazed at how noisy it seemed and how “boomy” the acoustics were. I don’t think anyone every considered that hard floors, hard walls, and hard ceiling must might yield a non satisfying acoustic environment…

Before the redo the MB was a combination of food and retail shops. Now it’s a sterile food court with no retail. I believe they thought all the former tenants would just jump at the chance to return after their multi-year construction that disrupted everything downtown and eliminated a lot of parking spaces directly around the MB itself. Many had since long found another home and decided to skip the higher rents there and the cut they have to give the city to be there.

Now we have a big problem for the current vendors who are on the edge of throwing in the towel. The cities response is a little like dealing with a water dam. The facility is damaged, leaking badly, and about to collapse and ruin everything. The cities answer is to do more construction while it leaks and drill more holes so it can leak even more. Needless to say, completely wrong. Just clueless…