Sunrise Cooperative tells advisory committee the harbor market boosted visitation and vendor retention
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Summary
Sunrise Cooperative reported successful vendor retention and tourist engagement during its first season at the marina building, described grant-funded site improvements, and asked the committee for better signage and coordination around tournaments that limited access. The committee offered follow-up and thanked the presenters.
Sunrise Cooperative representatives told the Harbor Advisory Committee that occupying the marina building this season produced strong vendor retention, steady community engagement and unexpected tourism interest.
The presenter (Speaker 5) said the cooperative "absolutely love[s] being in that building," describing a successful winter turnout and consistent vendor participation through the first year as a nonprofit market operator. "We've had a really good success...our core vendors are still there," the presenter said, and added that community foundation grant funding paid for tables and seasonal planters that helped activation of the outdoor space.
Speaker 5 described operational lessons: tents at the harbor proved impractical, so the group used a pavilion permit instead and plans a May–October outdoor market schedule alongside continued indoor hours. The cooperative also reported outreach successes: tourism magazines, distributed ADA/DDA maps and increased awareness among nonlocal boaters. The presenter said tournaments that closed access to the building for one to two weeks disrupted regular customers and asked the committee to help coordinate event timing and access for vendors.
The cooperative said it is exploring building-improvement grants but is waiting on a five-year contract to pursue larger capital grants; it also asked the committee to consider signage and wayfinding to funnel more pedestrian traffic to the harbor building. Committee members thanked the group for the report and offered to discuss coordinated signage and vendor participation at other downtown events.
No formal action or funding commitment was made at the meeting. Committee members requested that staff consider signage options and continue communications with the cooperative ahead of the next season.