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New Wednesday market faces a pair of challenges

It must draw customers to Williams Park while not appearing antihomeless.

By JON WILSON
Published January 31, 2007

Organizers of the popular Saturday Morning Market downtown are introducing an additional event - and are taking on a delicate challenge.

The Wednesday Midday Market, aimed at the lunch crowd, will make its debut Feb. 7 in Williams Park and feature many of the food vendors who have made the Saturday event successful.

The idea has been in the works for a couple of years while downtown movers and shakers contemplated ways to make Williams Park more appealing to the general public.

The irony is that the Wednesday market opens as the issue of homelessness has ballooned toward its broadest public profile in years, and Williams Park is a gathering place for the homeless.

But the market and the issue are in no way connected, say market officials and those who are backing them.

"The homeless are quite welcome and always will be," said Don Shea, president of the Downtown Partnership, a coalition of business people.

The partnership is one of the Wednesday sponsors, along with Progress Energy, whose new headquarters is across from Williams Park, and St. Petersburg College, which has one of its campuses nearby.

Shea said it is also possible the Wednesday market, which will operate each Wednesday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., will have an effect on homeless people who use the park.

They go "where they feel safe and comfortable and no one's objecting. New users may have the effect of having the homeless seek a quieter place," Shea said.

Part of the challenge is one of perception - and persuading visitors and downtown workers to try the Wednesday event.

"I think so," Shea said. "The park is perceived for better or worse as an undesirable place. What we're trying to do is identify the park as a good asset to generate new traffic."

Market officials, and Shea, say they want to make it clear they are in no way part of a plan to discourage homeless people.

"That certainly is not what we're about," said David Cellon, market manager.

"I think anybody who knows anything about the Saturday Morning Market is that it is all about creating community, and there are homeless people in our community," Cellon said. "On any given Saturday, there are a dozen homeless people (at the morning market) and they blend right in."

While food vendors will be the focus, the Wednesday market also will have a few craft vendors in addition to musical groups. Shea said if the event succeeds, other regular events might come to the park.

[Last modified January 30, 2007, 22:19:06]