The New Agora  -  Portland Public Market Gives Region A Modern Crossroads For Commerce, Community

[IPIX 360 degree views of the Market are at the bottom of the page]

Agora \Ag"o*ra\ ([a^]g"[-o]*r[.a]), n. [Gr. 'agora`.] An assembly; hence, the place of assembly, especially the market place, in an ancient Greek city. (Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913] )

Welcome to the New Agora, where agriculture and civic culture trade and mingle to the greater good of all involved. With all due respect to our friends at that modern catacomb of commerce, known as the Maine Mall, the Portland Public Market has arrived as the indoor crossroads of choice in the Greater Portland Area. Watching the crowds of kids and seniors, urban professionals and visitors up from Boston, hip Portland High School teenagers and hard-bitten Bayside natives - all with a look of wonderment and bemused half-grins on their faces -- one can see that the Portland Public Market has answered a need and filled a niche in the lives of its many visitors.

In other words, folks - we have a "scene" developing here. It was a bold venture when the late Elizabeth Noyce proposed it, and there was no shortage of naysayers and malcontents who felt compelled to pipe-up with their sour, minor-key commentaries. Thankfully, they weren't listened to. And thankfully, Betty was wise enough to hold onto her shares in Intel that she received when she divorced her late husband (and Intel co-founder) Robert back in the '70s. At an approximate construction cost of $6 million, that's a lot of Pentium II's!. Of course, without her philanthropic heart and vision (still carried forward by Owen Wells and the Libra Foundation), not a single Douglas Fir beam would have been hoisted into place. In short, money alone does not make a market.

Strolling inside this pedestrian-friendly bazaar, protected from the elements, one can enjoy the pleasure of browsing across the visual feast of nature's harvest. From the tempting array of fish on ice at Hansen Brothers Sea Food on one end (concrete floor in a state of perpetual dampness from the melting ice), to the impressive selection of varietal wines (perhaps to go with that fish!) at Miranda's Vineyard's at the other, the "Big L" of the Market, under its 45 foot high warm wooden dome, feels both spacious and cozy at the same time.

And one can imagine the cozy feeling, if not the thermal practicality, of the massive granite fireplace hearth - blazing away on a snowy, winter day - with a gaggle of Portland High b-boys and b-girls, nursing their Java Joe latte's by its radiant glow. Or, pulling up a bar stool at Stone Soup, for a cup of chill-chasing broth, served up with dignity by the newly-employed homeless people of the Preble Street Resource Center. Already, this is a Market that has shown it has a heart, as witnessed by both Stone Soup, and the benefit dinner at the Market on October 17th for Portland's homeless agencies.

In a real sense, the Market is the latest manifestation of how an urban area can still have value, in the wake of decades of residents fleeing from America's downtown cores. The strip-malls and burger joints will still be with us for years to come, but at least now we're beginning to see more places where individuals from different walks of life can actually mix, mingle, and look each other in the eye - all clustered around the soothing process of browsing and buying healthy food.

It's really only in this century that common public spaces began to be perceived as places where one ran hurriedly across to escape into the safety and comfort of the isolating automobile. The ancient Greeks knew the value of the Agora - the Marketplace, as did the Romans with their Piazza (which later became what we call a "plaza").  Today, we can thank a few dedicated individuals who shepherded this Agora along to completion: Ted Spitzer, the President of Market Ventures Incorporated (and author of a book on the value of public markets to the community); and Marketing Director Elizabeth Finegan. 

A veritable "Dream Team" when it comes to public market planning and construction, both Spitzer and Finegan are veterans of several previous market building initiatives around the U.S.  With 25 new or expanded businesses; approximately 150 new, full-time jobs; an estimated $10 million per year in revenue (not including the increase in sales that businesses in the blocks around the Market will no doubt see) -- the impact to the local economy will be substantial.

With all these things going for it, it's hard to believe that some Portlanders thought it necessary to go on record (via the local newspapers) to say that the Portland Public Market was "too high class" for Portland.  In a historical context, what the Market represents is the simple continuation of a tradition that is thousands of years old. Seen in that light, such quibbles are exposed in all their provincial absurdity. The Market is about people - making a living, shopping for food in a pleasant place, and having a good time. Judging from the early crowds, people have already happily embraced the Market as a new part of their lives.

See you at the Market!

Enter Portland Public Market.  By downloading the IPIX plugin you can enter into a 360 degree sphere and explore the Market.  It's really cool, check it out.

Check out the front entrance to the market and the flower shop that greets you.  Click on picture to enter the picture.

See the various offerings at the Market, from fruits and vegetables to fresh bread bakes on site. Click on picture to enter the picture.