North Market in Columbus, Ohio, is a food hall and public market. The Downtown Columbus market, the second of four in Columbus, was founded in 1876. The non-profit North Market Development Authority (NDMA) manages the market and North Market Bridge Park in Dublin, Ohio.
About 35 vendors sell their wares at the downtown market. One-third sell ready-to-eat foods, one-third sell specialty items, and the rest sell produce, flowers, meat and fish, cookware, and gifts. From June to October, the NDMA hosts a weekly farmer’s market outside the building.
The Dublin market, scheduled to open in 2020, is more modern than the downtown location. The new market has 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of space, with two-thirds open to the public. There are 15 vendors in the market, with a total capacity of 19.
History
The current location of the North Market housed the North Graveyard from 1813 to 1873. In 1872, grave removal and relocation began following negotiations with city developers. The land was developed in 1876 with the construction of a market house and other small businesses and restaurants. This public space at 29 Spruce Street was transformed into the North Market. The North Market was the second of four public markets built throughout the city (North, East, West, and Central), and it is the only public market still standing on its original site. Bed Bug Exterminator Columbus
The Central Market, built in 1850 at Town and Fourth Streets as a combination of City Hall and public market, was demolished in 1966 to make way for urban renewal and now houses Columbus’ Greyhound bus station. The West Market building on South Gift Street is now a Boys and Girls Club. In 1947, a fire destroyed the East Market at Mt. Vernon and Miami Avenues. In 2022, a new East Market will open in the Franklin Park neighborhood.
Almost a year after the East Market fire, the same tragedy struck North Market (or North End Market as it was then called). The City of Columbus decided not to rebuild the market, but merchants quickly banded together to buy a war surplus Quonset hut to house North Market. Unfortunately, even though the merchants purchased the building, the city retained ownership of the Market property.
The vitality of the Market began to wane post World War II as the population shifted from the city to the suburbs and the development of supermarkets. The building of the Ohio Center and the temporary closing of High Street in the late 1970s caused the Market to hit rock bottom. The physical and mechanical limitations of the Quonset hut thwarted attempts to revive the once-thriving institution. In addition, the Market was operating on a month-to-month lease with the city. The future needed to be more secure.
Address: 59 Spruce St, Columbus, OH
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