It looks like the Gibsons Public Market is going ahead.
More details are expected later today, but in a closed-door meeting last night Gibsons Council learned the Market’s backers had raised 275-thousand dollars by yesterday’s deadline.
Those donations are now being turned over to the Town, which is going to use the money to join the other partners in purchasing the old Yacht Club building on Gower Point Road.
Those other partners are Community Futures, the Community Foundation and two local families.
Gerry Zipursky one of the Market proponents, and his family is one of the core investors. “Not only did we get support from long established Sunshine Coast families but also from many newcomers who are wanting to see positive change in the Gibsons Landing area,” he says. “This level of support has been a great boost to those of us who have been promoting the Market concept and we are looking forward to the next stage in early 2014 when we will repair the present building and hold some community and Market related activities in the existing space.”
Town officials are getting straight to work on the legal details. The goal is to have a non-profit society run the market on a limited basis starting sometime next year, with a full opening by 2016.
The only information released Tuesday night was the text of the final motion passed at that closed Council meeting:
“That Council congratulates the proponents of the Gibsons Public Market for raising $275,000 as a contribution to the Town of Gibsons to partner in the acquisition of the Yacht Club building, located at 473 Gower Point Road, Gibsons, BC; and that staff arrange for the necessary legal process for that purchase to proceed.”
