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Parks department seeks city approval for 15 flat-pack vendor huts for November international market; veterans and students to help build
Summary
Karen Randy Wilkins, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and Dr. Stephanie Covington presented a plan to buy 15 flat-pack vendor huts from Inspired Lumber to use at a two-night international holiday market Nov. 21–22 at Levis Square Park.
Karen Randy Wilkins, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and Dr. Stephanie Covington, Commissioner of Educational Engagement and Workforce Development, presented a proposal on Sept. 16 to contract with Inspired Lumber Project for 15 flat-pack vendor huts to be used at a new international holiday market in Levis Square Park.
Wilkins said the huts are intended for a two-night market on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 to coincide with the city’s tree-lighting events, and that the huts are designed to bolt together, break down into stacked panels for storage and be city-owned for future reuse. Wilkins asked council to waive competitive bidding because the project is a unique partnership with Inspired Lumber entities; she described Inspired Lumber Workshop as the local woodshop and the Inspired Lumber Project as the outreach partner working with veterans and first responders.
Dr. Covington described partnerships with Toledo Public Schools and local career-technical programs, naming Washington’s local construction program and students from Grama City Academy who will work alongside veterans on a community build day to assemble the kits. The presentation emphasized workforce-development goals and cross-generational interaction: veterans who graduate from Inspired Lumber’s free six-week woodworking program will serve on the build team and receive shop memberships, while students will gain hands-on exposure to skilled trades.
Council members from multiple districts praised the program as an entrepreneurship and workforce-development effort and asked operational questions about storage and future use. Commissioner Wilkins said the city will own the huts and that the collapsed kits will occupy a fraction of the built footprint; storage details are being worked out.
Wilkins said the city is seeking an initial run of 15 huts to test community response. She said Inspired Lumber will provide build leadership and that the organization plans to involve veterans in a paid or volunteer build-team capacity supported by prior fundraising. No formal vote on the contract or the procurement waiver was recorded during the agenda-review meeting; the presentation and request were put before council for consideration.
