Kathy Emerson (left) and Karen Grisevich envision a revitalized 17th Street Market space. (Photo by Ash Daniel)
Editor's note: This article has been updated since publication in our September issue, which went to press Aug. 13.
Luceal Allen and her sister Rosa Fleming have been fixtures at the 17th Street Market for decades. Since the renovation of the oldest market of its kind in the country, however, they have been tucked away under trees at the Franklin Street end of the once-covered plaza in Shockoe Bottom. Initially, they expressed optimism about recent changes in leadership at the market.
“We’re so happy that they have it. If anyone can turn it around, it’s them,” Fleming said in July, referring to seasoned hands Kathy Emerson and Karen Grisevich, brought in after the city took back operation of the market. But on Sept. 15, the sisters told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that they're leaving the market for good, citing broken promises by the city.
The latest chapter in the market’s long history began in 2016, when the city of Richmond removed the sheds that had stood on the plaza for decades, and the nonprofit Enrichmond Foundation took over programming. Hopes were high for a vision that took cues from Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall and Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, but three years later, many merchants and residents are frustrated with a plaza that they see as unfinished, lacking shade and revealing little more than an expensive paving job.
Emerson managed the market from 1998 to 2004, and Grisevich is known for launching GrowRVA, the parent organization of the weekly South of the James Market. After moving to Los Angeles for several years in 2009, Emerson (who worked at Richmond magazine before taking her new position) returned in 2013. She saw unrealized potential for the new incarnation of the market and approached Chris Frelke, the city’s director of parks and recreation.
“This market is the heart of the city,” Emerson explains, “and it is a completely different neighborhood since I left, with all the apartments and new residents.” What she and Grisevich envision is a revitalized community space that draws on that new energy and partners with businesses to bring life back to the neighborhood.
On the docket are a series of events to draw people to the market. The popular yoga series on Wednesdays and the Richmond Night Market on the second Saturday of the month will continue. A growers market briefly returned on Thursdays, but was not sustainable, Emerson says, though she expects it to come back next year. Meanwhile, a Shockoe Eclectic market featuring a variety of vendors, music and activities will be held Sept. 21, Nov. 22 and Dec. 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Nov. 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. There will also be a Movie on the Market event on Oct. 17 from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring a screening of "Motherload," a documentary about cargo bike culture. (A Shockoe Taco event initially planned for Sept. 21, in partnership with neighborhood businesses, has been postponed to an undetermined date.)
Grisevich expects to continue to expand offerings as she and Emerson feel out the “new vibe in the area.” Grisevich adds, “We want to place an emphasis on connections with businesses and sustainability for the future.” Those visions include holiday celebrations in December and plans for big events in 2020.
Stay tuned, says Emerson, adding, "We are working assiduously to line up some really good stuff."
