91视频

The architects of a planned public market in Portland will host a community open house Saturday to gather feedback on the design.

The open house, scheduled to run from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, will be the culmination of a four-day design forum that started Wednesday for the James Beard Public Market design team.

Staffers from the Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta are kicking off design of the market by meeting this week with dozens of potential venders, civic leaders and other project partners before seeking input from the general public at Saturday’s open house, said Ron Paul, executive director of the Historic Portland Public Market Foundation. The nonprofit organization is leading efforts to build the James Beard Public Market 鈥� named for the late chef, cookbook author, syndicated columnist, television personality and Portland native 鈥� at a site on Southwest Naito Parkway at the West End of the Morrison Bridge.

An important part of the design process will involve ensuring the food, beverage and flower market truly meets the public’s needs, Paul said. The community open house will have tables and wall displays offering attendees opportunities to share their thoughts in a variety of ways, as well sample food from Oregon-based producers and decorate cookies.

鈥淚t’s an interactive day,鈥� Paul said. 鈥淲e’re not doing a traditional design charrette. What we’re doing is asking people to share their ideas for the market and what they’d like to experience. It’s very much a time for the public to shape the market. It’s time to put the 鈥榩ublic’ in public market.鈥�

At 2:30 p.m., Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, Historic Portland Public Market Foundation members and the project architects will give a brief presentation. The main topic of that presentation will the design team’s initial findings and input gathered during the design forum, Paul said.

It’s important to the Snohetta design team to gather this feedback before diving into producing initial market concepts over the coming months, he said. These early plans will be revealed publicly in early April 2015.

鈥淣ow is the critical time to influence that process, not when we’re four, five or six months into the design,鈥� Paul said.