Por JEFF CLEMETSON | Mensajero de La Mesa<\/p>\n
Grossmont Center is going big on markets.<\/p>\n
In addition to a craft-oriented market it already holds on some Saturdays, starting July 24 the shopping center will hold a farmers market on Wednesday afternoons. And also, Grossmont Center has thrown its hat into the ring to take over La Mesa\u2019s Friday Farmers Markets as well.<\/p>\n
Trevor Moore, Grossmont Center\u2019s director of public relations and events, explained how the new Wednesday market would differ from the shopping center\u2019s existing and possible future markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a producer-only market,\u201d he said \u201cWe are not really going to support the local artisanal community or crafters or self-makers at this particular event. We have another market on the last Saturday of every month called our Shop Local Market which we do have available for anybody to set up a booth \u2014 artisanal goods, crafts, things of that nature. This market on Wednesdays is going to be producer only, so just produce.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next Shop Local market is June 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be partnered with a health fair put on by East County Chamber of Commerce and Sharp Healthcare.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are trying to provide a home for other organizations to partner with us that are good for East County,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
For the Wednesday markets, Grossmont has teamed up with the La Mesa Parks & Recreation Foundation and some of the proceeds from the events will go to fund park projects in the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m all about sustainability,\u201d Moore said. \u201cMy feeling is that if you have a really decent cause for what you\u2019re doing and supporting that with your dollars, that\u2019s really good, not only for your own business but also for who you\u2019re donating those dollars to.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new Wednesday markets won\u2019t be the first time Grossmont Center has held farmers markets. Moore said the center held a market that was \u201cshort-lived\u201d a few years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t end up panning out,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the location of it, the produce that was there, the food trucks \u2014 there wasn\u2019t a whole lot to attract people to this market and it didn\u2019t end up being consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore also believes that the partnership with the La Mesa Parks & Recreation Foundation could mean the difference in success for the new market.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that was the sustainability piece that we missed with the last market, engaging the community in a way that you\u2019re not just supporting a shopping mall and farmers, but you\u2019re supporting local parks,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that that is a much better way when you\u2019re thinking about voting with your dollars to ensure long-term success and viability. People are always going to look for opportunities to give back in those ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
As far as the market competing with established stores that lease from Grossmont Center, Moore said it shouldn\u2019t be an issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe felt that given our tenant mix and given the fact that Walmart and Target are certainly not hurting, that we feel that providing the community with more access to healthy foods is a good idea,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Wednesday market, aptly named Grossmont Center Farmers Market, will be held 2-6 p.m. The market will start with around 10 produce vendors in the first couple weeks and grow to 15 by August, Moore said. The market will be held in the shopping center\u2019s west court, along the grassy hill parallel to the Target parking garage near the Center Drive and Jackson Drive entrances close to Dollar Tree and CVS.<\/p>\n
Because the market will be held on private property, the Wednesday market will not need permits from the city to operate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing events at the shopping center for about five years under the current management \u2014 about a hundred events a year \u2014 so to get CUPs for all hundred events is kind of crazy, so the city throws us a bone and says, \u2018Just continue to operate in a way that puts the interests of La Mesans first and continue to run great, high-quality, family-friendly events,\u2019\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
However, for Grossmont Center to take over the La Mesa Friday Farmers Market, it will need to get approval from the City Council, like every other entity that has applied to run the longtime event. And to do that, Moore and Grossmont Center hopes their pitch to the city that they are best suited to run the popular weekly event that currently operates in the downtown Village will win over enough council members to move it to their property.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are looking out for La Mesa. We want to build a market that is a destination market \u2014 like the Hillcrest Farmers Market, like the Little Italy Farmers Market, like the La Jolla Farmers Market \u2014 where these markets are really commerce centers,\u201d Moore said. \u201cThey\u2019re not just quote end quote farmers markets but they are bringing local business, local entrepreneurs and people of those like minds into one place at once.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd as a shopping mall, I don\u2019t think that anybody should be surprised that we are still trying to keep relevant and bring traffic into our shopping center,\u201d he continued. \u201cObviously we made a determination that markets are an effective way to do that, so that\u2019s why we threw our hat in the ring [for the Friday market].\u201d<\/p>\n