Hilo Farmers Market raising the roof

The Hilo Farmers Market could have a new roof over its head within the next year.

Plans to replace the tarps and tents of the downtown market with a 20-foot-tall prefab structure are in the works, market owner and manager Keith De La Cruz told the Tribune-Herald last week.

An upgrade has been in the works for years as a means of addressing the growing size of the market, which currently has more than 200 vendors. It’s also a way to improve the market experience for vendors and customers alike, and to make the venue itself more “weather-friendly,” as De La Cruz put it.

He said the new structure is a “scaled-down model” of an ambitious renovation proposal that was first approved by the county planning commission several years ago.

At the time, the planning commission unanimously approved a Special Management Area permit for a three-story structure that would put the market on ground level, a restaurant with retail space and bathrooms on the second, and office space on the third.

SMA permits are needed to build near the shoreline.

That project was estimated to cost about $5 million to complete. According to De La Cruz’s permit application, construction was set to begin in the coming 18 months.

But those plans were put on hold after the effects of the recession kicked in.

“The recession brought to light the reality of what the economy can support,” De La Cruz said. Having been through two recessions in his own lifetime, he said the decision to scale back the plans was also a buffer against any future economic downturns.

The current proposal scraps the three-story structure in favor of a roof over the produce area of the market. Plumbing and electricity will be built in, and a paved surface will replace the uneven gravel-strewn floor. De La Cruz also hopes to put photovoltaic panels on the roof.

The total cost of the new project is significantly less than the original proposal.

De La Cruz estimates that it will cost less than $1 million to complete.

“I think it’s a manageable goal,” he said. “We’re shooting for next year.”

Leslie Sears, a board member of the Hilo Downtown Improvements Association and a frequent shopper at the farmers market said the change would be “significant.”

“I would love to see some more permanent or semi-permanent infrastructure there,” she said.

The market is “something Hilo is known for,” Sears said. “And it’s a big, big hub, so I think that it’s a vital part of our downtown.”

“I think Saturday’s the big pull,” DIA vice president Scott Brand said. “You can’t find parking anywhere…the foot traffic is much greater.”

Even though the venue has grown significantly since De La Cruz first came on board as manager, preserving the direct transaction between producer and customer remains his goal, and keeping a straightforward open-air structure is more in line with that mission.

“It’s an improved experience,” he said.

Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune -herald.com.