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West Villagers' Greenmarket Plan for Pier 40 Grows

By DNAinfo Staff on March 24, 2010 2:48pm  | Updated on March 24, 2010 2:46pm

West Village residents are moving ahead with a plan to place a farmers market at Pier 40.
West Village residents are moving ahead with a plan to place a farmers market at Pier 40.
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flickr/marcusjroberts

By Nicole Breskin

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WEST VILLAGE — West Villagers are moving ahead with a plan to bring a farmers’ market to Pier 40 that they believe can surpass the Union Square greenmarket in popularity and turn the waterfront into a major attraction.

The greenmarket idea — the latest proposal for the 15-acre pier where West Houston Street meets the Hudson River — grew from a neighborhood survey of suggestions for uses at the site.

George Capsis, publisher of the community-based online opinion publication WestView that conducted the study, said he has identified a partner to help run the market and that it could open as early as May.

“Union Square’s greenmarket is one of the most successful urban inventions,” Capsis said at a meeting of Community Board 2’s Waterfront Committee on Monday. “We could make something that would attract interest and build the pier. If we start today, we could surpass Union Square within three years.”

Pier 40 on the Hudson River.
Pier 40 on the Hudson River.
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Photo: Courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

Capsis envisions the greenmarket operating year-round in partnership with the Harvest Homes Farmer’s Markets, an organization that has introduced greenmarkets in neighborhoods lacking fresh produce across the city.

Maritza Owens, founder of Harvest Homes Farmer's Markets, said at the meeting that she sees the potential to develop a market with some 20 vendors at the pier.

“If you have that backing of the community, that sets a platform for opportunities,” she said

“We’ve seen what happens when you bring fruits and vegetables inside a neighborhood,” said the group’s operations manager, Allumba Keller. “You’d be surprised how fast we can expand.”

Arthur Schwartz, chair of CB 2’s Waterfront Committee, cautiously welcomed the plan but was concerned about whether locals would cross the West Side Highway to shop and about long-term funding for Pier 40.

The pier's roof alone will cost $20 million to repair, and at least an additional $35 million is required to fix old support pilings, according to the Hudson River Park Trust, which manages the 5-mile-long West Side park and piers

Noreen Doyle, executive vice president of the Trust, said the state-city agency is focused on financing the necessary repairs at Pier 40.

She said the farmers’ market would be a "natural fit" for the pier, but would require permits from the Trust.

Several controversial development plans for the pier, one of the largest on Manhattan's waterfront, have been floated in the past.

A proposal submitted by developer the Related Companies, which included establishing an entertainment complex for the performance group Cirque de Soleil at the site, was rejected by the community in 2008. Other bids involving a private developer have subsequently fallen through.