16 February 2017

Cobham Court Market on the menu

Porirua City centre is undergoing a transformation to a vibrant hub for business, activity and entertainment. As part of that Porirua City Council is seeking organisations or an experienced operator to manage a new high quality market in Cobham Court, with the Request for Proposal document released this week.

This is a unique opportunity to deliver a high quality market and capitalise on the work that’s been done to revitalise the city centre area.

The council is looking for the right operator with the right skills and plan to help make the market a great event and destination for the people of Porirua and the surrounding areas.

General Manager City Growth and Partnerships Bryan Patchett says we’re keen to find the right person or people for the job.

“The ideal operator will be able to attract a diverse range of stalls, and coordinate stall holders, entertainment and the promotion of the overall event, while also ensuring health and safety, and quality requirements are satisfied.”

“Our award-winning Porirua food kiosk shows how well a quality venue and vendor can work together in the city. With the removal of the i-site building we’ve got a new green space that can be used by businesses and the community.”

Ideally we would like to see a good mix of fresh fruit and vegies, arts and crafts, and various food trucks and entertainment. This will need to be a long-term venture, taking into account both the mix of stall holders, weather, special events and other challenges.

“Pop-up Porirua, monthly Night Markets and Christmas in Cobham Court are examples of recent successful inner-city initiatives. The monthly Night Markets will continue to be held on the last Thursday of every month, but the Council is looking for an operator to run a weekend market in the city centre. The operator will need a strong track record in running a similar operation and will have the contacts and vision to ensure that the market is successful in the longer term,” says Mr Patchett.

The market is part of a wider plan for the heart of the city. “We’ve made good inroads in our work to revitalise the Porirua City centre and we’ve committed to investing $21 million over 10 years. The Council is continuing to support local businesses by enhancing our public spaces, and we’re starting to see real results,” says Mr Patchett.

“We’ve had a number of requests from the community for a weekend market in the city centre. We’re looking for someone with a vision for Porirua’s city centre, who can commit to a period of at least three years, with an option to extend for a further two years.”

For more information, read the Request for Proposal document, which will be loaded on the Porirua City Council website public tenders page by midday Friday.

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