News
Historic City Market Restoration Begins
01/07/2010
Charleston, SC. Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. and City Market Preservation Trust, LLC announced that the two-phase restoration of the historic City Market began on Monday, January 4, with work officially starting on plans announced in October to restore Charleston’s historic City Market. Phase 1 of the project includes the restoration of the open sheds known as Buildings A, B & C that are between Church Street and East Bay Street. The City Market will remain open for business during the restoration of the buildings.
The first portion of the project is to restore Buildings A & B, which are between Church and State Streets, and will take approximately two months to complete. The vendors from Buildings A & B have been transferred to Building C and to the open air section of Market Hall Building at Meeting Street. When Buildings A & B are completed, merchants will be moved back and Building C’s restoration will begin. Its merchants will be moved to the renovated buildings and to tents set up on South Market Street which will be closed between Church and State Streets during construction. The renovations to Building C will also take approximately two months to complete. Reopening is scheduled for early May.
The restoration consists of brick repointing, roof repair and replacement, up-grade of the floors, security cameras, the addition of a new set of restrooms, improved lighting and air circulation and other improvements. Phase 2 will begin later this year and will renovate the enclosed shops that are in Market Hall, the building between Meeting and Church Streets.
Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. said “The City Market will continue to function during the construction phases. The City Market is a special place, offering a focal point for Charleston’s commercial activity since its early beginnings in 1804. We appreciate the efforts of the City Market Preservation Trust, LLC to create an attractive space while allowing ‘business as usual’ for the dedicated merchants and their patrons in the Market. We all look forward to the completed projects which will offer new energy and excitement for this favorite area.”
City Market Preservation Trust, LLC (CMPT) took over the management of the City Market on October 1, 2008 after their successful presentation in response to the City of Charleston’s request for proposals to manage the Market.
Hank Holliday, Principal, said, “Steve Varn, Laurie Thompson, The City Market Preservation Trust Management staff and I are extremely pleased to begin renovation of Charleston's Historic City Market. We have confidence that Hightower Construction Company is uniquely qualified to give The City Market the facelift that it so desperately needs. We expect sales to increase as a result of the renovation improvements and our hope is to draw Charlestonians back to The Market and restore a sense of community.”
Glenn Keyes is the architect for the project. David O’Neil, a nationally known and respected public market consultant, is an advisor for the project.
The City of Charleston approved a plan to temporarily close South Market Street between Church and State Streets during part of the restoration. Tents will be erected to accommodate the vendors as their building is restored. The cost of the improvements will be funded by a revenue bond that is supported by the income from the City Market.
The City Market was established in 1804 as a public market on land donated by the Pinckney family. It is one of the oldest public markets in the country. The existing buildings were built in 1841 and now occupy over 40,000 square feet of covered space not including the Confederate Museum on the second floor of the Market Hall Building at Meeting Street. There are 265 active vendors on the City Market tenant list including 17 enclosed shops, 165 permanent vendors and 86 temporary vendors.
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