What you describe is exactly that what i was doing before the 4.0 wipe. We had our base at Destiny, the UsT Marketplace and Holiday Resort.
Daily visitors and not alone for the NPC, also for trading ores in high amount. Or even people who come over to take a look at the base.
And thats the same i try to establish here again:
It´s a safe place in PVE-Space and people can come over to trade. Not only that, its a place with a background, intended to be a place to meet, talk, have a drink or make business.
But since the wipe it looks like people dont need ore´s in big amount anymore. I think the main problem are the Eleon Autominers. They break the market. Everybody gets enough ores and the prices for ores at the Eleon Marketplace are ridiculous high.