UPDATE 10am July 23
The owners of the upcoming Duwamish Mobile Market have released a mission statement and a list of what remains to be completed before the site can open.

Mission Statement

The Duwamish Mobile Marketplace is an outdoor market for mobile trailers to sell products (food, jewelry, arts, crafts, merchandise, and services) servicing the people of West Seattle and tourists--with the Duwamish Tribe as its central theme. The vendors are all local, grassroots merchants, that will represent diversity, sustainability, and peaceful gatherings at the market. Aside from shopping, visitors will be able learn the history of the Duwamish tribe and how it contributed to the creation of Seattle. By using bulletin boards, story poles and special events, the colorful history, rituals, artwork, music, and dance of the Duwamish people will be shared and exposed to all visitors who are interested. The marketplace is a practical place to buy and sell, as well as a peek into the culture and the history of the people that helped to create Seattle then and now.

Things to be done:

• Use of permit from the city—submitted and waiting for inspection.
• Finish construction of space--finish leveling of ground with fill rock and gravel.
• Construct perimeter fence—can start when ground is level and gravel is in.
• Install electricity.
• Install running hot and cold water access with access to bathroom.
• Signage and marketing tools (website, social media, advertisements around town)

Prospective vendors are urged to contact Jared Rose jared862@gmail.com if they are interested in becoming part of the vendor community on the site.

Original Post July 9
Coming soon, possibly within the next 45 days to West Seattle, is the Duwamish Mobile Market (DMM) that will have space for up to 40 mobile vendors on a site located on Harbor Ave. S.W. just south of the entrance to Jack Block Park. The site has a view of the downtown Seattle skyline but is set back from the shoreline and is bordered by railroad spurs. On the south is Berg Scaffolding.

Promising a mix of food vendors, and other mobile outlets the DMM is planned to spring into life, hopefully within the next 45 days if the owners can make it happen. So far only construction delays are preventing progress.

United Pacific Realty Services LLC owns the angularly shaped, 26,000 square foot parcel of land, located just south of the entrance to Jack Block Park with an entrance at 2316 Harbor Ave. S.W. A curb cut was recently put in there and another is planned to the north to permit easier access and egress on the site.

The company told the West Seattle Herald that there will be approximately 5 to 10 food trucks per day with the remainder other kinds of vendors, but all must be on wheels. The site is mostly paved but a form of self paving gravel will be laid down, a five foot wooden fence will be built around the permitter of the site and power will be provided to vendors.

The cost, according to UPRS, will be $275 per month plus utilities which is a significant savings for mobile vendors who sometimes pay $150 to $250 per day to park in high visibility locations, or up to $50 per day at farmers markets.

So far signed up to be on site will be Full Tilt Ice Cream (they recently bought and have outfitted a truck) who according to owner Justin Cline plans on having cones, waffle cones, cups, root beer and a revolving house made soda on tap, and about 10 flavors at a time of ice cream plus 4 ice cream bars. Also on site will be West Seattle Produce in a mobile mode in addition to their existing spot on Fauntleroy Way S.W. West Seattle's Shipwreck Honey, Fashion truck My Violette, Mobi Phone Repair, Page Turner, a mobile book store, Street Donuts, A T-Shirt company, El Catrin (authentic Mexican street food), Curb Jumper, Chubbs Food truck, and a hot dog truck. Other food trucks and vendors are now being sought.

A spokesperson for the company said, "What we're trying to do is create a business environment for small businesses. Right now we're focusing on West Seattle small businesses," also noting that they plan on getting artists involved.

The company is working with the Duwamish Tribe who have given the company their blessing to honor their tribe's traditions with plans for installing native American story poles on site as the the site is developed.

The company is in the process of prepping the site and they are hoping to open the site completely in the next 30 to 45 days.

Their spokesperson said they see this as a West Seattle version of the Pike Place Market with a variety of food and merchandise, some of which might change with some frequency. The hours of operation will depend largely on the vendors according to the company. There is ample free parking on the street nearby (none for cars on the site), and for now while portable bathrooms will be brought in at some point, arrangements are being made with a building across the street for bathroom access.

The site is on the Water Taxi and Metro bus route too.

A website and Facebook page are in development now and they will serve to alert the public as to who is on site on a daily basis.

Those interested in becoming part of the market can contact the site Manager Jared Rose at 206-549-7187.