Candor marketplace construction approved ♥

Published in the Courier-Tribune on Friday, March 18, 2011

By Hugh Martin

CANDOR – During a special called meeting Monday Town of Candor Commissioners approved a request from the Candor STEP Committee to begin construction on a multi-use building that, is hoped, will help to stimulate a revitalized downtown area.

The project, called Candor Marketplace, will be funded mostly by a grant that Candor received from the North Carolina Rural Center through their selection in 2006 as a community in need of economic help because they are in a distressed area.

STEP Committee member and former Mayor of Candor Becky Williams gave a brief presentation to the board on the history of Candor’s participation in the program and offered the committee’s choice between two contractor proposals that were considered for construction of the building.

The committee chose the proposal from Kanoy Builders of West End, NC, who entered a bid of $110,238.00 for a 2040 square-foot structure, to be built at the intersection of South Railroad Street and Whiskey Road.

The building will have a roof structure of laminated beams with wood decking and a metal roof for aesthetic appeal and durability.

The floor will consist of four-inch concrete, crowned for drainage and poured three feet beyond the roof line on all four sides.

Electrical and internet service will be included as will two handicapped-accessible restrooms, to be constructed from brick.

The board approved spending of town funds on the project not to exceed $11,000.00. John Gowan, Management Advisor for the town, told board members that the town’s portion of the funding could be split between two budget years because the timing of construction falls at the juncture of fiscal years. “The STEP money is already in an account, ready to be spent,” he said.

STEP funds amount to around $100,000.00 toward the cost

Commissioners Tim Smith, Layton Booker, Leslie Thomas and Phillip Hearne, along with Mayor Richard Britt, unanimously approved the expenditures and choice of proposal.

Commissioner Hearne expressed concern as to whether the construction would be finished in time for the 2011 NC Peach Festival, which takes place the third Saturday in July. Gowan pointed out that the proposal indicated that the timeline called for 30 to 90 days for design, followed by 60 to 90 days for construction, which would allow sufficient time for completion before the festival. “There has already been some design work done,” Gowan said.

The marketplace was originally thought to be mainly a farmers’ market with additional events to be scheduled, but the STEP Committee has eliminated the sale of any type of farm products because, according to Williams’ presentation, “Candor already has a State funded farmers’ market that needs to be better promoted and managed along with The Market Place.”

Williams urged board members to include funds in the upcoming budget to pay a part-time manager to take care of both the Marketplace and the existing farmers’ market.

Hearne asked about changing the name from The Market Place to something else. “I’m afraid that people will be confused and think that we have a new farmers’ market,” he said.

Gowan said that the building could be named anything that they wanted, that the marketplace name is just for planning purposes.

Planning for the marketplace has been ongoing for five years. The Town of Candor purchased the property for $8250.00 and the Rural Center paid for demolition of an old store building on the site and grading at a cost of $10,000.00.

A business plan that was submitted to the STEP Committee by member Ron Franklin lists three types of markets to be held at the facility, those being Craft, Arts and Performing Arts.

The plan also calls for:

• Quarterly Ethnic, Native American and Health-Food Markets;

• Weekly Specialty Beer and Wine Markets during tourist season;

• Monthly Potters Markets;

• Monthly Print, Art and Poster Markets;

• Monthly Glass and Ceramics Markets;

• Seasonal Multi-Specialty Artist’s Markets;

• Craft Markets;

• Quarterly Gunsmith Markets;

• Quarterly Custom Knife and Blacksmith Markets;

• Quarterly Textiles Markets;

• Quarterly Home and Garden Markets

• Quarterly Ethnic, Native American and Import Craft Markets;

• Quarterly Used Computer, Camera and Electronics Markets;

• Semi-Annual Quilt Markets;

• Quarterly Antique Furniture and Jewelry Market, and a

• Performing Arts Venue.

Throughout the year Candor Marketplace will offer a series of performing arts events, including bluegrass, gospel, Hispanic, Jazz and Folk music and specialty celebrations.