Body of News Release
UPDATE 9/16: The Board adopted the environmental report and authorized the agreement.
San Rafael, CA – The nonprofit Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM), known best by the Marin County community as the host of many farmers markets and promoters of sustainable food choices, is progressing with its long-held plan to construct a new headquarters and permanent market on leased property at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors will consider a major milestone in the creation of a Center for Food and Agriculture during its September 16 meeting. County staff plans to recommend that the Board of Supervisors:
- adopt an environmental report that confirms potential environmental impacts have been appropriately addressed through project design and mitigation measures, and;
- authorize a 40-year lease agreement with AIM, which operates the Civic Center’s Thursday and Sunday farmers markets.
The project directly supports the Board of Supervisors’ broader vision to enhance the Civic Center as a welcoming and inclusive destination for community events and an asset to Marin’s economic vitality. AIM, founded in 1983, has several long-term goals that are closely aligned with Supervisors’ agreed goals. AIM’s proactive influence on lessening the impact of the climate crisis and promoting opportunities for under-resourced communities matches up well with the County’s objectives related to health, food security, sustainability, and the economy.
With the Board’s approval, the new AIM-funded center would be built on a 3.7-acre triangular parcel known as the Christmas Tree Lot. It is adjacent to northbound Highway 101 and Civic Center Drive, just across the street from the Marin Center’s Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (VMA) and just a few steps from a Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) rail station. For 42 years, AIM has held a Thursday farmers market in the lot in front of the VMA and a Sunday farmers market a few hundred yards away in a parking lot on the west side of the Marin County Civic Center.
AIM’s first step will be to build a 250-space parking lot under the County Department of Public Works’ review and approval. The County will manage the parking lot except during AIM’s farmers markets and AIM special events. The County’s Department of Cultural Services will carry out the lease agreement and work with AIM to coordinate parking lot use and ensure AIM events do not conflict with other activities on the Marin Center campus.
Once opened, AIM’s new home would combine an open-air farmers market with permanent amenities (including ADA-accessible restrooms, shade and rain protection, bicycle parking, and other environmental enhancements) on Thursdays and Sundays, with the eventual addition of a Tuesday market. Alongside the permanent farmer market will be a Food Innovation Hub, offering facilities for food and farm business resource programs, food and gardening education programs for learners of all ages and abilities, and climate-smart landscapes.
AIM CEO Andy Naja-Riese said the center will serve as an educational gathering space to connect the Marin community of farmers, chefs, and eaters in order to create healthier food culture.
“The center will ensure the people who grow, raise, harvest, and catch our food can thrive for generations to come,” he said. “From our climate resiliency gardens demonstrating carbon sequestration and soil health, to circular economies that reduce waste through a reusable food ware model, the center will be more than just a place to shop, but a model for agriculture and food access as a climate solution.”
The September 16 Board of Supervisors meeting begins at 9 AM, and the County-AIM agreement is expected to be introduced by mid-morning. Board meeting participation and viewing guidelines are on the Board’s website. Comcast subscribers may view the meeting live on Channel 27 as provided by the Community Media Center of Marin.
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