The Parkville Board of Aldermen held a work session last week to discuss plans for the replacement of the farmers market structure in English Landing Park.
In 2022, the existing structure was struck by two trucks, the incidents just months apart. The damages forced the city to close the structure and it was demolished earlier this year.
In May, the city attempted to redirect funding from Platte County Parks and Recreation though the outreach grant program from a ball field in the park to the reconstruction of the farmers market. That request was denied, but the county opened up applications for partnership grants, also funded through the quarter cent parks, recreation and storm water sales tax.
Representatives from consulting firm Confluence presented their public engagement results at the Tuesday, Sept. 5 work session. Nearly 900 responses of the city’s farmers market questionnaire were recorded, the bulk of these from an online survey. The majority of respondents stated they wanted a new structure to be flexible for year-round use, perhaps an enclosed space that could be available for other uses such as rentals or parks and recreation events during the off season.
Options looked at include prefab metal or timber buildings at a cost of about $550,000-$620,000, which would cover the buildings only, with site work, electrical hookup, signage and other work at an additional cost.
A replacement of nearly the same structure and all site work would be about $1.6 million.
City administrator Alexa Barton suggested the board decline the ball field outreach grant and instead apply for the $1 million partnership grant with Platte County. She also cautioned aldermen that the preliminary cost estimates were just that – preliminary.
The board gave city staff their approval to pursue the county partnership grant and to move forward with establishing more concrete numbers.