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An architectural illustration of the future 17th Street Market (Image courtesy Baskervill Architects)
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Construction progress (Photo by Ali Jones)
Jeannie Welliver of Richmond’s Department of Economic and Community Development recalls standing in the middle of the 17th Street Market with the late Michael Ripp, owner of Havana ’59, pondering the future of one of the oldest open-air markets in the country. That was 1999.
Almost two decades later, a new vision is emerging. Gone are the green-roofed pavilions. Gone are the helter-skelter parking issues. Gone, too, are a few businesses, chased away by Hurricane Gaston and what some business owners call city government neglect. Despite the redevelopment of historic buildings for apartments and condos, progress in Shockoe Bottom has lagged behind other areas of the city. The farmers market faded years ago, and revitalization of the space has been a slow process.
William McCormack, owner of McCormack’s Irish Pub on 18th Street, says he lost 92 percent of his business in one year because of the market construction. Now that the end is in sight, he says, “I don’t really expect it to impact my business until the city addresses other issues in the neighborhood,” such as poor coordination between some city agencies and a proliferation of night clubs that draw a heavy police presence on weekends.
Welliver acknowledges concerns, but says that for the most part, “Business owners have been wonderful.” As a city project manager, she has been on the front lines of planning the new market. Its $4.4 million budget includes $3.5 million in city capital improvement funds, plus $915,000 in federal and state transportation dollars, since the project incorporates a Virginia Capital Trail connection.
On May 25 and 26, attendees at the RVA East End Festival will get a peek at the work in progress. Originally, the market was set to host a children's art exhibit and activities, but those have been relocated, since construction has been delayed. Welliver says the discovery of an abandoned sewer has changed utility coordination, noting, "It's a complicated grid down there."
When she talks about the market's reopening, Welliver draws a comparison to the redevelopment of Las Ramblas, an outdoor pedestrian mall in Barcelona, Spain. John Sydnor, executive director of the Enrichmond Foundation, likens the space to a closer attraction: Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. Enrichmond, which manages the market, is working to execute a plan that includes outdoor dining, a family-friendly atmosphere and youth activities. Plans call for a winter market and bringing back some form of the farmers market in 2019.
