Continuing Education culinary courses will utilize future space
The Cedar Rapids City Market Board of Directors and Kirkwood Community College announce an innovative partnership
for the NewBo City Market. Kirkwood has committed to a 10-year lease for approximately 1,500 square feet of the 18,000 square foot facility, for a culinary center, becoming the anchor tenant for the NewBo City Market. The organization will offer its wide-selection of Continuing Education culinary courses at the market, at the same time forming a strong collaboration with NewBo City Market’s goals and a presence in the downtown district.
The NewBo City Market is a year-round indoor/outdoor public market providing a venue for visitors to shop from the best of Iowa’s food entrepreneurs, farmers and artisan sellers. The centerpiece of the NewBo City Market is the 18,000 square-foot Market Hall with permanent and flexible vendor stalls, and space for specialized markets and fairs.
“We’re thrilled to have an institute like Kirkwood offer its Continuing Education culinary courses at the market,” said Patrick DePalma, board president of Cedar Rapids City Market, Inc. “By placing a cooking school where visitors shop, we’ll create tremendous synergy. We’ll provide the community with greater access to good quality local food and teach them how to use it in healthy ways.”
“This great partnership helps Kirkwood in positioning our Continuing Education culinary, life and leisure classes with the NewBo City Market,” said Kirkwood Community College President Mick Starcevich. “When people look for personal enrichment, they’ll know they can get Continuing Education offerings, at a great facility, in addition to the varied offerings from NewBo City Market vendors. We’re pleased to join together in the downtown district.”
“Consumers today are interested in fully realized experiences,” added DePalma. “By placing the kitchen where food conscious people congregate, play and shop, you create an experience that is greater than each of the individual parts.”
Currently Kirkwood’s Continuing Education culinary courses are offered at various schools across eastern Iowa. Having one location for all of these courses will provide for the creation of a space designed especially for offerings customized to Kirkwood’s customer demographic.
“With the creation of this new space, we’ll be able to better deliver our current courses,” said Kim Johnson, Kirkwood vice president of Continuing Education and Training Services. “Because of the great venue and clientele it will attract, we are excited about the opportunities the collaboration with the NewBo City Market provides for an eclectic array of culinary offerings, classes and demonstrations. We plan to expand our very popular youth culinary camps, nutrition classes and culinary offerings, while developing new programs such as a young chef’s academy, culinary team-building training, culinary certifications and much more.”
Johnson said the college is also looking at ways to utilize the kitchen for workforce training, giving youth and adults the culinary skills needed in the local workforce. “With the waiting list for Kirkwood’s Culinary Arts program at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, this facility will allow us to offer pathway programs that give short-term training needed to get right into the workforce, or transfer into our credit program at The Hotel.”
According to DePalma, the culinary partnership with Kirkwood is just a jumping off point for what could become a great partnership. “The NewBo City Market will nourish the mind and spirit, as well as the body. We look forward to working with Kirkwood to expand the classes offered to areas such as art, fitness, language and home decorating.”
“Our Continuing Education programming is always expanding to meet what our local residents and customers desire for lifelong learning opportunities,” said Johnson. “Our offerings, combined with the vision of the NewBo City Market, positions both entities for growth in this large and growing consumer and employment market.”
The market will be located on an entire city block at the corner of 12th Ave. and 3rd St. SE, the site of the former Quality Chef plant. The NewBo City Market and Kirkwood hope they can play an integral role in helping to strengthen the neighborhood.
Anyone interested in teaching a Kirkwood Continuing Education course should contact Evone Vognsen, director of Program Development, at 319-398-5487, at evone.vognsen@kirkwood.edu or www.kirkwood.edu/ce. For general inquiries about the NewBo City Market, contact Julie Palmer, executive director, NewBo City Market, at julie@newbocitymarket.com or online at www.newbocitymarket.com.