Annapolis Council Narrowly Approves Market House Money
The City Council voted 5-4 Monday night to spend $300,000 to add women's bathrooms and redesign the interior of the City Dock centerpiece.
Photos
Annapolis City Council narrowly approved spending $300,000 on another round of Market House renovations that city officials said should help make the troubled, downtown landmark more attractive and profitable.
The issue split the council Monday night, with the vote passing 5-4.
Those voting to spend the money were Mayor Josh Cohen, Aldermen Richard Israel, Classie Hoyle, Sheila Finlayson and Kenneth Kirby.
Those voting against were Aldermen Ross Arnett, Fred Paone, Mathew Silverman and Ian Pfeiffer.
"I find this request absolutely outrageous," Paone said during the meeting. "I think we have spent so much money, good money going after bad money. It's not just me, but many people in the public who have simply had it."
He said he didn't think the project to renovate the Market House would end up costing so much, or that it wouldn't re-open until August.
"I don't get it," Paone said. "This isn't the Taj Mahal. This is the Market House we're talking about."
The council had been discussing spending the money for several weeks and then passed the matter to its Finance Committee, chaired by Arnett. The committee last week voted 2-1 to spend the money.
The $300,000 will be used to create more women's restrooms and make the restrooms available for after-hours use, as well as remodeling the interior to put seating along the windows facing Ego Alley.
The idea is to cash in on the views of City Dock, officials and proponents said. The new configuration and seating are part of a plan to rejuvenate the space and attract restaurants and vendors that can help make Market House profitable.
One of council's contingencies on the funding was that any profit generated by Market House would go into a special fund that would be used to directly repay the debt.
Technically, the council approved a budget transfer. The $300,000 had been allocated to pay for planned City Hall renovations, which are now about a year off. The transfer shifted the money to pay for the Market House renovations in the meantime and the plan is to repay it in time to pay for the City Hall project.
Paone and Arnett were clearly frustrated over spending more money on the Market House, especially at the expense of other city projects.
"Frankly I just don't trust the administration that this is going to be the last request for funding," Paone said. "It's just a ridiculously bad business decision and we have to put a stop to it at some point and that point is here."
Cohen remained steadfast in his support for not only the $300,000, but also the Market House in general and the city's plan moving forward.
"I am very confident we are going to fix it," he said after the vote. "For the past eight years it's been held back by a ridiculous floor plan and we are going to fix that."
Beth Rubin
8:48 am on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
How many years has this ongoing fiasco been going on? I've lost count. Count me among the oldtimers who long for the good ole days when the Market House was a gathering place, full of charm and good feeling--and, yes, a little rough around the edges--where you could pick up a tasty snack or meal for under $10, take it to City Dock, and run into your neighbors. The Market House today is emblematic of the situation downtown. Local pols and special interests are more interested in the almighty buck than preserving something that worked well. Note the absence of mom-and-pop businesses and proliferation of tacky souvenir shops. Our once charming downtown is looking more and more like Ocean City West.
Myra W.
12:24 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
I can't speak for the other area stores, but each shop in the Market House was a "mom-and-pop" business! As one of the small business owner’s, I came to the conclusion, that the majority of residents that live downtown did nothing but complain about what the City has been trying to fix. I could invite you to lunch, and tell you story, after story, that I personally heard from the locals criticizing our tireless efforts...none of which were spending a dime. To address your statement about a $10 menu, each vendor had items under $10, but still there were complaints that everything was too expensive. I made FRESH caramel popcorn. If you were to spend the day with me, watch the procedure from ingredients purchased, to the finished product, you would probably understand the cost of a $4.00 box of caramel corn. Next time you go to the store, please take a look at the price of Land of Lakes butter, as opposed to the off brand. And, when adding nuts to my caramel corn, I myself choked each time I bought 25 lbs. of cashews for $229.90 and had pecans shipped directly from Georgia at $255.60 per box, just so that I could offer fresh nuts that just fell off the tree. Stand on the other side of the counter, understand the cost of goods sold, and just maybe you will understand the plight of SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS! Vendors from the "ole days" would have had to increase prices...it's 2012! Been to Georgetown lately?
Myra
PS - I held my breath for 6 months, I feel better now!
Joe Wing
11:55 am on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
So now it's the floor plan. Who started this mess in the first place? Moyer?
This is one of those endless losing situations of circular failure- Not putting more money into it is unaccepatble because we have put so much bad money into it, so we put more bad money into it. It never ends.
Lightning strike maybe?