Baltimore’s six public markets
The Avenue Market, originally Lafayette Market, opened in 1871 at 1818 Pennsylvania Ave. A fire in 1953 destroyed the original building, and it reopened across the street in 1957. A $4 million renovation from 1994 to 1996 transformed it into today’s Avenue Market.
The Baltimore Public Markets Corp. is working to improve the mix of tenants at the market, but there are no immediate plans to renovate the space.
Broadway Market opened in 1786 as the Fells Point Market, a series of four sheds stretching down Broadway to Thames Street. The two brick structures between Fleet and Lancaster streets were constructed in 1864. The north market was damaged in a fire in 1969, and the south shed underwent renovations in 1979.
The south shed was renovated again and reopened in 2011. WorkShop Development planned to renovate and reopen the north shed as a grocery store in 2013, but the project was delayed by plans for the Red Line light rail. The Baltimore Public Markets Corp. did not renew its contract with the firm, and the corporation recently accepted new bids to redevelop the market. It would not have to remain a public market under the request for proposals.
Cross Street Market was established in 1846. The current building was completed in 1952. The market was on track to be redeveloped this year through a public-private partnership with Caves Valley Partners. That deal fell through in early February after developers encountered pushback from merchants and nearby residents.
Hollins Market, established in 1846, once supplied Civil War soldiers. Its structure, built in 1877, is the oldest of all the public market buildings in use, and is the only market with two stories. The city recently accepted requests for proposals to redevelop the market. Under the terms, the space must remain a market.
Lexington Market has been on the same site since 1782, with a permanent building dating to 1803. The existing buildings on the east and west sides of Paca Street opened in 1952 after the previous markets burned in a fire. A current plan calls for rebuilding Lexington Market on a nearby lot and demolishing the existing east side of the market. That project would cost $35 million to $40 million. A new building would go up first and merchants would be relocated before the current building is demolished. Lexington Market executive director Robert Thomas expects the design to take 10 to 12 months, and construction to last about two years after that.
Northeast Market opened in 1885 and was expanded in 1896. It underwent renovations in 1955, and another $2.6 million was poured into the market during a revamp that lasted from 1985 to 1987. Merchants tried to buy the market in 1990. Thomas said the public markets corporation may look to add improvements to the surrounding area, though there are no major plans to revamp the market itself.
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