i'm for waterfront park, makes sense as it was once the sight of the public market, if for no other reason...

Leave it where it is. The Portland Saturday (Sunday too) Market not only pays its own way, but also brings a lot of tourist dollars to Portland.

If PDC has so much money they want to spend in the area, they can paint the bridge and send in the street sweepers. We don't need another set of condos or chi chi shops.

I'm with Deb- leave it right where it is. The PDC people talk about creating something akin to Pike Street Market in Seattle. The difference is that Pike Street market was there long before Seattle became so trendy, instead of being created to service the rich and unimaginative. The problem is that the PDC have no appreciation for funkiness. They want to tear down anything authentic and replace it with trendy expensive SOULESS versions of the originals.

This is a trend in Portland now, and it's very depressing. I recently read where 2 old buildings downtown are being sold and moved to make way for highrise apartment/condo buildings. I'm all for saving old architecture, but downtown is turning into an ugly sterile environment. No one seems to understand the psychologial impacts of out of scale architecture. Back in the 80's I lved downtown for 4 years and loved it- now I NEVER go down there unless it's unavoidable.

For the Saturday Market, what about the rest of the week? The nice thing about where it is at is that it is not really used the other days. I don't know if that matters.

Is it just me or is the future light rail only 4 blocks from existing light rail for about 1/2 the line in that map? They must have a lot of spare change. Mybe they should just make downtown into a big set of light rails.

1) Having previously worked for a couple of different organizations housed in the Galleria, I find it surprising that anyone would consider negotiating with the Natio's EASY.

2) Makes me glad I kept the Portland cell phone number when I transplanted to Seattle, as if I listed a Seattle phone number I'm sure they wouldn't have considered my vote.

Im always suprised at the number of customers I get from Seattle area that have taken the train down to do our Market .
They say Pike Market is mostly imports and food stuff ..
Portlanders dont realize what a rare gem their Market is. It is one of the few venues where you can talk to the artist or craftsperson and get custom made items at a reasonable price .
My out-of-town customers are always commenting they wish their city had one.

I don't trust the PDC on this. The way this is proceeding stinks as a end-run towards something yet to be seen.

For some reason this reminds me of Saltzman's fist push at a giant hotel next to the Marquam bridge as part of the north Macadam/river district development.

When the jouranlist mentioned that hoteliers in the region complained that the market can't bare that much more space I remember Saltzman saying "its the job of government to do what the market won't."

The market won't produce a 7 day a week Pike's street market in Portland. But if the city removes Saturday market and combines it with the recent sucess of the farmers market they could make it happen.

This is a way bigger risk than I would want to take with the instituition of Saturday Market. Also, how is it going to work with the fluidity of vendors. If its 7 days a week year round how hard is it going ot be for vendors to just work a few weeks and then yield the booth to someone else?

Ditto Catfish,

I had several customers who Amtracked it down from Seattle just this week-end.

The Farmers Market has said they aint interested ... probably too high rent and when do you grow or make your stuff if you are marketing it all week ?

Greetings- Obviously PSM lacks economic clout. But we are a collection of hundreds of small (read 1 or 2 people) businesses. And we attempt to keep costs low enough to keep something like a living wage at the end of the day. One thing I will say about our customers, the folks here in the Portland area and the Market artists are pretty darn tight! I love the way my customers thank me for being there- I am always sure it is the other way around. In conversations with all my customers, local and otherwise, in most cases they all count on us being where we are. The current site is known and accessible. There is a new plan in the wind which will keep us basically where we are. We are counting on the public's support...!! Thanks- Artist from Portland Saturday Market

I don't trust the PDC on this.

Good instinct!

I voted for the current site. Under 'Affiliation" I put 'Citizen'. Shouldn't that be enough?

Stupid question: what is up with the yellow light rail line?
Did they just not draw most of it or does it actually go in that "rectangle"?
I wouldn't be surprised by either answer.

I'm a big light rail supporter, but I gotta agree with others that yellow line makes no sense. There are an almost infinite number of potential routes that offer better bang for the buck.

I'm a big light rail supporter, but I gotta agree with others that yellow line makes no sense. There are an almost infinite number of potential routes that offer better bang for the buck.

I'm a big light rail supporter, but I gotta agree with others that yellow line makes no sense. There are an almost infinite number of potential routes that offer better bang for the buck.

Sorry about the multiple posts, Safari is acting weird

Right. Blame Apple. :P

i'm confused. what does interstate MAX have to do with Saturday Market.

I agree with the majority, keep it where it is. moving it will only cause issues. while i don't patronize the current market because i got burned out on it as a child, i do respect the artistic and craft side of it. the saturday market people though need to reflect on their own appearance. when one rides by on a saturday or breazes through, all we see is elephant ears and tie dies. or, if one happens to hit the west side of the market first, one is exposed to bongs, glass pipes, camo gear and sunglasses. is this a true representation of the market? no, but it does leave an impression. if the market wasnts to stay true its craft persona, then it needs to police itself. otherwise, it will be classified as just another kitchfest like the county fair or rose festival.

Not much can be done about the visibility of tie dye because vendors of the Portland Saturday (Sunday too) Market choose their space according to senority and points earned from jobs they do. The tie dyers apparently have earned enough points to get booth spaces that show up well.

PSM has one Elephant Ear booth, located in the food court.

The west side approach with the camo, sunglasses, and bongs are through the New Market Theater Market and are not part of the Saturday Market. Getting away from this 'import' market is the only reason I can think of for PSM vendors to want to move.

Except for the information booth and the PSM owned restrooms, all of PSM is on the east side of the Max tracks.

PSM is a juried craft fair, which means all applicants have to pass a jury process to ensure they are following all rules and fitting into the guidelines. In addition, all vendors must make the items they offer for sale and are only allowed a few days a year where they can have hired salespeople.

Our image problem results from the parasites across the street at the Ankeny street marekt. This market has been riding on the coat tails of the PORTLAND SATURDAY MARKET for years. I am sick of having to explain the difference to people. No,, PSM doesn't sell bongs, tee shirts with pot leafs, flying plastic pigs or dollar tree rejects!

I think it's great the PSM wants to stay where it is. I like that there's a strong, community supported group of business individuals that are willing to stay in downtown when it seems like everyone else wants to be in the fashionably abated Pearl District.