As mentioned here the other day, they're still planning a "stop and talk" at the Portland Saturday Market this weekend. The stopper-talkers are supposed to be members of the general public, giving their input to the Portland Development Commission and the Parks Bureau on design options for the impending ouster of the market from its current home to a new spot in Waterfront Park across busy Naito Parkway.

But from the looks of things, there's not a lot to talk about. It sure seems as though the final design has already been selected, and it's all set to be revealed at an open house on Wednesday night. Here's a press release that came out of the Parks Bureau yesterday:

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and Portland Development Commission (PDC) will present the final recommended design for the Waterfront Park/Ankeny Plaza Project at an upcoming public meeting on Wednesday, June 13.

The recommended design will reflect the collaborative efforts of the public, business and property owners working with city staff to design improvements for the area around the Ankeny Pump Station in Waterfront Park and for Ankeny Plaza, Ankeny Street, First Avenue and an area under the Burnside Bridge. The plans include improvements to Waterfront Park and Ankeny Plaza to support Portland Saturday Market (PSM) and other programmable outdoor events, and to bring people and energy to the District, especially concentrated at the northern end of Waterfront Park.

The open house, including an opportunity for questions and discussion, will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (a formal presentation will start at 4:45 p.m.) on Wednesday, June 13 at PDC’s Commission Room at 222 NW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.

The recommended final design builds upon planning to date and incorporates feedback gained from a series of meetings with stakeholders, including PSM vendors, and the greater community to solicit input and develop the project concept. A 13-member Project Advisory Committee helped guide the project’s design. In addition, open house events and on-site “Stop & Talks” at Portland Saturday Market were conducted throughout the design phase.

Because Portland Saturday Market is a special stakeholder, Paul Verhoeven, PSM Executive Director, served as a technical advisor to the Project Advisory Committee and also serves with city staff on the Technical Advisory Group for the project. In addition, the design team, along with PP&R and PDC staff, also met regularly with Verhoeven and PSM board members to walk through their logistical needs, site layout requirements and other particulars....

The project, which is funded primarily by the Downtown Waterfront Urban Renewal District, has a total budget of $8.8 million, which includes $6.2 million for construction. This is a joint project between Portland Parks & Recreation and the Portland Development Commission, with PP&R managing the design and construction. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2007.

Of course, Saturday should be a nice day for a visit to the Saturday Market anyway. But when you stop, rather than talk to bureaucrats, you might just eat the pierogi.