Anne-Marie Jennings
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 07/98) - Anyone looking for a new project might want to consider the Yk City Market -- and fast.

Matthew Grogono, who has been managing the market since its opening five years ago, is leaving town and can only hope that someone comes forward to pick up where he is about to leave off.

"Five years ago, we had an idea of where we wanted the market to go," he says. "And that was to make it into a place where artisans with vivid ideas could display their work.

"I still feel the City Market can get there."

The last day potential managers have to come forward and take over the operations is August 8 -- which is tomorrow.

"Whatever happens, I will have to start selling things off tomorrow," Grogono says. "I will have to start liquidation."

Back when the market first opened, Grogono was one of three partners who were managing the market. Since then, the other two partners have moved on to new interests. While he has devoted some of his time to the market, Grogono has also been preoccupied with other matters.

He says he has finally come to understand that he can no longer devote the time to the market which he feels it deserves.

"I've been hammering away at this for five years," he says. "I want to spend more time with my family and my kids.

"I've also been offered a job in Nova Scotia for one year, which will allow me and my family here to move closer to my parents. I want my kids to know their extended family better."

The City Market has been able to operate on a relatively small budget, which Grogono says would make taking over the market an attractive project for a young entrepreneur.

"It would only take a small investment to generate a great deal of goodwill," he says. "In the past few years, the operating costs have run about $6,000 a year.

"I still believe there's room for something like that here. It would just require tweaking a few dials."

While the immediate future for the City Market looks uncertain, Grogono is still optimistic the market will survive this most recent stretch of hard times.

"I still believe things are going to pull through," he says.

The Yk City Market will be open tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.