As the Parkville Farmers Market season gets set to open this Saturday, April 24, there is discussion about the state of the market’s iconic structure located in the city parking lot near English Landing Park in downtown Parkville. At a meeting of the Parkville Community Land and Recreation Board (CLARB) last week, it was reported there are serious structural issues such as wood rot, holes in the roof, damage to roof supports, 18% asbestos content in the roof, etc. Current repair estimates to replace the roof start at around $400,000, an estimate that some folks watching the video of the CLARB meeting–including aldermen Philip Wassmer and Tina Welch–found hard to believe. The Farmers Market structure has been located in Parkville since 1987. The CLARB acts in an advisory capacity and reviews matters of park planning or other issues brought before the board of aldermen, makes recommendations regarding public neighborhood beautification requests, etc. It was stated any construction or re-construction would likely not occur until 2023. The topic is set to be discussed again, perhaps as soon as the May meeting of the board. Funding source for repairs or replacement would be the city’s half cent sales tax for parks. CLARB also mentioned investigating any grant opportunities or perhaps an online fundraising effort to assist with funding. The Farmers Market will be open Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon.
Ivan Foley/Landmark photo