Community Architect Baltimore: Try and error at Baltimore Markets: Progress on Broadway

Fells Point's Broadway Market, which consists of two market sheds, has been for a long time an illustrative case for the difficulties Baltimore has with its six public markets. After many fits and starts the two parts are now moving forward in a coordinated fashion. Both represent different development models, a public and a public-private one. In 2019 the public model will reach the finish line first.

Broadway Market (north shed) under construction (Photo: Philipsen)

That the markets in well-to-do areas like Fells Point and Federal Hill ("Cross Street Market") can fall on equally hard times as their brethren in disinvested communities (Northeast Market, Avenue Market, Hollins Market and the famous Lexington Market) is evidence that public markets need investment to adapt to changing retail conditions to survive, no matter where they are located.

The frustrating part for a long time was that other cities have figured this out long before Baltimore. Those cities are running flourishing public markets famous as the Philadelphia Reading Terminal Market, Seattle's Pike's Place Market, or San Francisco's Ferry Building Market. Smaller markets in Cincinnatti, Cleveland, Rochester Roanoke and dozens of other US and Canadian cities are booming as well. One could say public markets have seen a renaissance around North America, indoors and outdoors.

Contemporary front at Fleet Street with historic sign
(Rendering PI.KL Architects)

Broadway's north shed is now the second local case where the City fixes a market with public money and keeps it in public hand as owner and operator. The first was the renovation of the Northeast Market.

Additionally and concurrently the City is trying a public private partnership approach for the Cross Street and Hollins Market sites which will come to fruition a bit later than Broadway. The south shed on Broadway facing the recently refurbished Broadway Square will be a private restaurant development, but the City will retain ownership.

The about 8,000 square foot North Shed has stood largely vacant for some time and will be completely redesigned following plans by Baltimore: Development Solutions with principal Dominic Wiker as project manager on behalf of the owner. He developed Mount Vernon Marketplace with the Time Group. PI.KL is the architect with Pavlina Ilieva and Kuo Lian as a principals who designed Seawall's popular R. House in Remington. The general contractor is Plano Coudon.

After a well attended public kick-off in December of last year and around a dozen follow up meetings with community members (Fells Point Task Force and other community organizations), generally supportive of the concept. The architects presented their design first to the historic commission CHAP and received unanimous approval at the Planning Commission in March of this year. (Where CHAP approves plans, they are not additionally been reviewed by the design review panel UDAAP).

A lease of the south shed was approved for use by a single restaurant tenant around the same time. The schedule assumes that the south shed renovation will follow the completion of the north shed, allowing existing market vendors an opportunity to continue operation and then move to the north shed if they desire. According to Colin Tarbert, Deputy Chief of Strategic Alliances in the Mayor's Office, who commented for this article, the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation "is coordinating all design elements with the south shed tenant. The two sheds will be different, but coordinated. The goal is to tie both sheds together as one Broadway Market through graphics and other common elements."

North shed as it looked last December (Photo Philipsen)

The largest design change will be the addition of a lot more daylight by opening up all windows allowing a full view across the market.

The north end freestanding faux brick facade as a timid attempt of recalling the times when the market was a tall two story building, was demolished. The remaining addition will receive a contemporary design in the makeover. According to Tarbert, the north end "will be market stalls that will have open windows on the north façade harkening back to the previous addition when Prevas Bros was there to serve patrons outside on the sidewalk". The mix of fresh and prepared food sales in the market is described as "market meets food hall" by Pavlina Ilieva. According to the BBJ the market will have 11 vendors and include three who have operated in the south shed for years: Vickki's Fells Point Deli, Sal's Seafood and Sophia's Place European Deli. Additional vendor applications are currently under review.

Proposed seating area and trellis south of the north shed
(Rendering PI.KL Architects)

There will no longer be a parking lot south of the north shed. Instead, as the renderings show, the area will be used as an open plaza, with outdoor seating, landscaping and a trellis for shading. The current driveway will become a pedestrian approach path. Once the south shed is done, and with the just recently finished Broadway Square rehabilitation, the entire median from Thames to Fleet Street will have been redone.

Together with the adaptive reuse transformation of the Recreation Pier into the Pendry Hotel, and the Union Wharf and other developments, the southern part of Fells Point has never looked as well. Together these investments should put to rest any concern, that Fells Point was too worn and had become a tired place losing its spot as a Baltimore attraction and desirable community. On a 95F summer evening, with a fresh breeze from the water and the new water taxis coming in and out, the foot of Broadway was the place to be.

Klaus Philipsen, FAIA corrected for the gross area of the North Shed

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