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Philanthropist Builds Market in Portland |
In an area perceived as the worst neighborhood in Portland, Maine, a major economic development project is drawing shoppers, providing markets for local produce, and creating jobs. It is all due to the spirit of one woman: the late philanthropist Betty Noyce financed the $9 million, one-half-square-block Portland Public Market that opened in October 1998. "Betty Noyce was a unique woman," notes Ted Spitzer, director of Market Ventures, Inc., the management company for the new public market. "She not only donated to hospitals and art galleries but also strove to help the people of Maine in other cultural and economic areas." The public market concept offered Noyce an opportunity to stimulate local economic growth and help area farmers. "Maine has a long tradition of downtown public markets," says Earl Shettleworth Jr., director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. The new market, located one-half block from the city's original public market (established in 1825), sells products from local farms, fishermen, and specialty food producers and also is used as a local business incubator. The original market lasted until 1892 when it was removed to make way for the present Civil War monument. Using local materials and incorporating traditional timber frame techniques, New Jersey-based architect Hugh Boyd created this award-winning indoor public market worthy of showcasing Maine's fresh produce, seafood, and specialty items. Liberal use of glass helps draw foot traffic into the market. A central granite fireplace and works of art engage the public while they shop and congregate. "There have been almost no new public markets built on this scale since World War II," Spitzer says. Community building by design. The Portland Public Market is a recent recipient of the American Institute of Architects'/HUD Secretary's Award for Excellence in Housing and Community Design. The award recognizes the market for accomplishing community-building goals. This people-based approach to fighting poverty builds on the assets of the community, supporting people in poor neighborhoods as they rebuild social structures and relationships that may have been weakened by outmigration, disinvestment, and social isolation. One of these community assets, the Preble Street Resource Center, is a founding tenant of the market. Stone Soup Foods, a restaurant operated by Preble Street, serves as an ongoing experiment in social entrepreneurship. "We are not just putting our hand out for local funding, we are adding something of value to the community," says Mark Swann, the center's director. "We have a double bottom line that we are trying to meet." The restaurant not only is required to make money but also needs to achieve a self-imposed social mission of providing skills training for the center's clients. Preble Street Resource Center is a multiservice agency providing a broad range of services for 300 to 400 clients daily in the Portland area. Programs include providing emergency food, day shelter, housing resources, and counseling services. An informal atmosphere makes the center more accessible, especially to the mentally challenged, Swann says. To expand its range of services the center has developed an employment and training program. Currently, Stone Soup Foods trains 6 students during 12-week sessions to develop the skills needed to work in the food service industry. The skills and knowledge that students learn help place them in the area's active hospitality industry. Some graduates leave with a state certification in food service hygiene, increasing their marketability. So far, 30 students have graduated and moved on to jobs in the local hospitality industry. The program has been so successful that Stone Soup plans to open a second location that will offer a café atmosphere and a larger menu selection. This will provide the opportunity to train students in a broader range of hospitality skills. Targeted economic development. The market also is accelerating the development of Portland's downtown and continues Noyce's personal tradition of involvement in the economic development of the city. At one point, when banks were closing their doors in the early 1990s, Noyce had stepped in and created the Maine Bank & Trust. Over several years, she purchased the bank's downtown headquarters as well as two office towers, becoming a major landowner in the city. To help fill these nearly vacant buildings with tenants, she bought two adjacent parking lots and constructed a seven-story parking garage on one lot. On a trip to the Pacific Northwest, Noyce's attorney and principal advisor, Owen Wells, visited Pike's Place Market in Seattle and the Granville Island Market in Vancouver. He thought the concept might work in Portland and shared his idea with Noyce, and the Portland Public Market was born. Noyce and Wells hired Spitzer as a consultant to perform an initial feasibility study and retained him to oversee the construction and eventual management of the facility. Spitzer retained Boyd Associates, a specialist in the design of public markets and retail space, to design a space appropriate for a public market. Local artwork is displayed throughout the market. A bas-relief panel located above the mantel of the central granite fireplace is titled Farming in Maine and provides an allegorical reference to the state's agricultural history. The panel includes a sculpted border of food from local fields and waters. A 50-foot-long art wall adjacent to the mezzanine seating area provides a community gallery facility. The gallery features works by children and local artists and changes periodically. The market has 25 permanent vendors and is open 7 days a week. Some vendors are local farmers while others purchase their products from area farms. Maintaining and strengthening a link with the local agricultural community is an important goal. Currently, the market generates approximately $6.5 million in revenue with two-thirds of the products produced or grown in Maine. The 12,000 weekly customers keep the Portland Public Market an active place to shop and eat. Betty Noyce died in September 1996 before she could see her vision realized. The ownership of the market passed on to her Libra Foundation, of which Wells is president. For more information, contact: Ted Spitzer, Director, Portland Public Market at (207) 761-2085, or Mark Swann, Director, Preble Street Resource Center at (207) 775-0026, or visit the Market's Web site at www.portlandmarket.com.
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