Farmers’ market co-op likes depot for new home

Committee talking with city staff about potential

The St. John’s Farmers’ Market Co-op is looking at the idea of possibly moving into Metrobus’s depot when it is vacated, but nothing has been written in stone.

Dean Barnes, chairman of the co-op’s board of directors, sent out a news release Tuesday stating the group sees potential in the site on Freshwater Road and has determined it’s worth looking at.

“The co-op’s location committee has performed an initial assess- ment of the former bus depot as a market location, and has determined that the depot has many desirable characteristics and warrants further research,” reads the release.

“The committee is now in the process of working with city staff to gather more details about this space and determine what a market there would look like, as well as options for how converting the bus depot to a market-friendly space could be funded.”

St. John’s city Coun. Tom Hann, who represents city council on the St. John’s Transportation Commission which oversees Metrobus, recently told The Telegram the hope is to move to the new depot in March.

The $34-million project is about a year behind schedule, but is managing to stay on budget, he said.

Once Metrobus moves into the new depot on Messenger Drive, off Kelsey Drive, the old building reverts back to the city, but nothing concrete has been decided on what will be done with it.

According to the farmers’ co-op release, its current location, at the Lion’s Club Chalet on Bonaventure Avenue, has been a good home, but the popularity of the market is putting a strain on the capacity of the site.

The co-op has been looking at alternative sites around the city for several years and will continue to host the market during the 2013 season at the Lion’s Club.

However, discussions with city staff will continue in order to assess the feasibility of possibly moving into the depot.