Renovating the Market

Pike Place Market is the main location for Red Delicious, and a huge asset for Seattle. It attracts 10 million people a year from near and far, and offers artists, farmers and entrepreneurs a place to locate and grow their businesses. For local people it provides a wealth of items - produce and beyond - unavailable anywhere else in the city.

This unique place, loved by so many, was saved from the wrecker's ball in the 1970s by a huge community effort. And it has been quietly decaying again ever since.

Now the Mayor, Greg Nickels, has proposed a property tax levy to carry out $75 million in much needed basic renovations, including upgrades to the plumbing, wiring and access. The nearby Victor Steinbrueck Park would also get an overhaul.

As a regular user of all these I know how essential those upgrades are. The loos overflow with dismaying regularity, the power can be rather temperamental, and the access can be challenging even to the able-bodied. The park appears from a distance to be a pretty place to see the view and eat lunch, but up close is littered with addicts and their detritus. Obviously that needs to be changed.

I really hope Seattle steps up and supports this levy. It appears that it actually represents a lower tax than the levy currently being paid for parks. And the Market is such an asset to Seattle and a massive benefit to the economy it should be upgraded before we reach crisis point.