Community Invited to Review Plan of Transforming the 17th Street Farmers’ Market

Click here to view the event poster.

The City’s Department of Economic and Community Development invites the community to attend a public forum to review the draft plan that outlines the overall concept of a transformed 17th Street Farmers’ Market. This community meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second floor of Main Street Station, 1500 East Main Street. The City held two public meetings in October 2013 to gather input from residents and business owners as to how they would like the new public space to look and function. The April 9 meeting will detail the findings of the October meetings, followed by an opportunity for public comment.

As space is limited to 200 individuals, attendees are asked to RSVP to Jeannie Welliver at jeannie.welliver@richmondgov.com or call (804) 646-7322 as soon as possible.

Free Parking for the community meeting will be available in the lot west of Main Street Station, which can be accessed from either 15th Street or East Franklin Street. Parking assistants will be onsite to assist attendees.

Beginning in 2010, the City’s Department of Economic and Community Development worked with the community and Shockoe stakeholders to develop a revitalization strategy for the area. The community desired a more open urban space at the public market that would serve the vendors on market days, continue to serve large events, but also support a wider range of community and family-oriented programming.

In FY 2013 and FY 2014, the City supported the concept and budgeted funding to reposition the property to more fully serve the community as a public square and gathering place. Included in City funding is to bury overhead utilities along the four sides of the market square. 

The "publick market" in Shockoe Bottom was established in 1779 as part of the General Assembly action that declared Richmond to replace Williamsburg as the capital of Virginia. The "publick square" was located where the 17th Street Farmers' Market now stands. Many structures have stood on the site including simple sheds to elaborate two story structures. Today's structures were erected in the 1980's.