Robert David Sullivan 2

Newest brainstorm: A public market atop Filene's ex-Basement

Will there be automatic markdowns on dented apples and not-so-fresh lettuce? Hair-pulling fights over heirloom tomatoes?

Boston mayoral candidate Michael Flaherty suggests that the huge pit in the middle of Downtown Crossing that used to be Filene's department store be put to good use (hat tip: Universal Hub): 

Located in the heart of the bustling financial district, accessible by the various MBTA stations and to the numerous area employees, residents and tourists, a public market offering organic produce will serve as a significant asset to the neighborhood.  The Boston Public Market Association offers locally grown, healthy and affordable fresh food and is a refreshing alternative to the various fast food restaurants in the area.

It does seem like a solution to two problems, the big hole that threatens to become a permanent fixture of Downtown Crossing and the city's lack of a public market bigger than a typical McDonald's. One hitch is that someone has to pave over the pit. (Flaherty says the developer that has halted work on the site should be forced to do it.) There's also the danger that a "temporary" public market will be erected on the cheap (think of rickety stands and portable toilets). If a tacky market is a failure or only a middling success, will it kill any chance for a real public market in Boston?

Creative Commons photo by Spinstah.

The Budweiser Greenway?

A business association in Montreal's gay neighborhood found a way to pay for summer street fairs, complete with outdoor dining and drinking. The catch? Some of the festivalgoers must drink -- or at least pay for -- Bud Light beer. From the Toronto Globe and Mail:

The business association sold the right to sell beer on 54 new patios along a stretch of Ste-Catherine Street to Labatt, part of a summer-long festival that will see cars banished from the street. Owners say the $100,000 deal came with minimum sales quotas for each bar and restaurant, including a healthy sample of Bud Light.

The deal irks restaurateurs like Ms. Dagenais, who doesn't sell much beer at her small restaurant, best known for tasty desserts, and others who try to tempt palates with fine dining, wine and specialty ales.

Private sponsorship of public spaces is all the rage, but it might still be far-fetched to imagine Puritan Boston financing the upkeep of the Greenway or the Common by mandating the consumption of Budweiser or Sam Adams. The Cape Cod Chips Esplanade and the Ben and Jerry's Public Garden are a bit more plausible.