Capital City Market (AKA Florida Market)

Counterfeit Bust: $3 Million In Goods Seized At D.C. Farmers Market In Coordinated Effort

2011-10-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to District Curmudgeon for the link.

Capital City/Florida Market is now being actively marketed ... as Union Market

2011-08-12T02:18:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, the lead developer of the Market area, a company that owns a number of shopping centers, hired a person who had worked for Jose Andres to execute a promotion strategy. Obviously, Edens & Avant was already on the case.

This flyer was on the case at Litteris, and it promotes an ice cream related street event at the Market. You can see from the flyer that there is both a logo for the Market, and a tagline, "foodie paradise."

This likely means that the market will be "saved" given that E&A (and their partner, J Street Development, which brought E&A into the deal) is better financed than the Sang Choi interests that were favored in master development agreement that was awarded to them by the DC City Council (through Vincent Orange et al.), even though at one time, Apollo Development was involved with them and they are a company owned by Carl Icahn so they should have had lots of dough. I guess they weren't really committed, after all the company isn't involved in other DC projects.

Maybe this means that those of us who fought the City Council legislation and the Sang Oh Choi interests focused on complete redevelopment have won?

(And the name of this blog will have to change too?)

Another reason for creating a commercial kitchen at Florida Market (or Eastern Market for that matter)

2011-08-03T03:52:00.001-07:00

In the "Retail planning and Florida Market" paper, I suggested food-related business development operations beyond straight up restaurants and retail be incorporated into the planning mix for the retail-wholesale food district. From the document:

Depending on the scope of work for the Small Area Plan, other opportunities could be identified as well, spanning retail, entrepreneurship development, and civic use. These include:

• home meal preparation and assembly (franchise programs such as Let’s Dish or Thyme Out);
• commercial kitchen rentable to caterers and food processors (examples include La Cocina in San Francisco and the Artisan Baking Center in New York City);
• demonstration and training kitchen for commercial and public use, i.e., programs by the Office of Aging, Department of Health, Cooperative Extension Service of UDC/USDA, schools (examples include La Boqueria in Barcelona, and two separate facilities at the River Market in Little Rock);
• hospitality-culinary education.

------------

So today's article in the Washington Post food section about an underground market "DC Grey Market: An underground opportunity for vendors"), which is "underground" because vendors sell food items not prepared in a commercial kitchen, is a confirmation of the need to provide low cost commercial kitchen options as a form of entrepreneurship and business development programming on the part of the city--it demonstrates demand, and it's a lot better to provide such facilities rather than discourage people from doing it properly (in supervised, clean facilities).

The premier model is the facility at the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks in Athens Ohio, which offers a variety of services to small- and medium-sized food-related businesses.

From the Post article:

Like many of the vendors at the market, not to mention at similar underground markets popping up around the country, none of the three men had acquired business licenses or submitted to food-safety inspections.

Shapiro said the market’s lack of a licensing requirement was a big draw for him. “Everything I have here is totally safe,” he said. “My kitchen is invariably cleaner than most restaurant kitchens.”

That the sales technically are not regulated seems only to heighten the allure. New vendors have enlisted for each of the three DC Grey markets held to date. Attendance has ranged from 355 to 1,100.

Still, someone can say his home kitchen is cleaner than restaurant kitchens and that may be, but it's unlikely a home kitchen is kept to food processing and manufacturing cleanliness standards.

It happens that I liked a Mexican restaurant in Pontiac Michigan called Trini & Carmen's. Back in the late 1970s, in a place like Oakland County there weren't many such options. That being said, in 1977, botulism in home-canned peppers that were used in some of the dishes sickened 59 people. (How else would I have heard of the restaurant, they didn't advertise...) Fortunately, no one died.

There's no way that the city's regulatory authorities won't shut this down, after being prominently pictured on the front page of the Food Section. But the real point, that we need an entrepreneurship support network generally, and for food preparation specifically, will likely get missed. The San Francisco Weekly stepped up with a 6-part article series after the shutdown of the underground market called "Going legit."

- Part 1: Getting a business license
- Part 2: Working out of a commercial kitchen
- Part 3: What's the minimum an Underground Market vendor would need to be legit?
- Part 4: Selling at the traditional farmers markets
- Part 5: Selling to grocery stores

- Part 6: Iso Rabins and the City on the Future of the Underground Market

While this report, Local Food Systems Assessment for Northern Virginia, from August 2010 is about "food hubs," which are aggregation operations for local farmers seeking to sell food in quantity to restaurants, food service operations (like schools), supermarkets, and other institutional clients, the basic concept is comparable to a commercial kitchen operation.

WRT the job generating possibilities of such operations, this article from the New York Daily News, "Cooking up job training in Long Island City" discusses the Artisan Baking Center in New York City, and "Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar" in the San Francisco Chronicle and these blog entries from Cool Hunting and Munchie Musings discuss La Cocina, how the organization grew out of a need by food vendors for better support facilities, and how the organization has a selling space in the Ferry Building, among other venues.

The Munchie Musing post makes a good point, that helping businesses develop isn't just about the kitchen, it's also about managing the licensing and vending process. From the post:

La Cocina provides this type of support for people who are looking to start some sort of food business. Their building contains a commercial kitchen which is a requirement for making and selling foods. Besides the physical space, they also provide support in the form of assistance with permits, funding, source vendors, etc. With this support, people, mostly women, are able to start legitimate businesses, create jobs, and support themselves, their families and communities.

Other resources include the National Street Food Conference 2011 later this month in San Francisco and the Culinary Incubator website.

Edens & Avant hires development coordinator, outlines approach to Florida Market

2011-08-03T03:31:00.000-07:00

According to the article, "Capital City Market to Get Pop-Up Restaurants?" from DCMUD, and after an announcement that the lead property owner at the Florida Market, hired Richard Bradenburg from Jose Andres' operation ThinkFoodGroup to coordinate the development of food-related businesses at the market as "director of culinary strategy" (see "Richard Brandenburg leaves ThinkFoodGroup" from the Washington Post), it's good to know that development of new food-related business is now the focus there.

Especially as lately I have been concerned as the inexpensive Korean restaurant ("Florida Deli") has been shuttered for the past few weeks--apparently because it has changed hands, as La Villa Distributors closed, even after a recent expansion, and the supermarket-wholesale operation MS3000 appears (I haven't confirmed it) to have changed hands as it is now called David's Farms (or David Farms, depending on which sign you see).

Even if Edens & Avant ends up using the "old" ideas are expressed both in the 2003 "Economic revitalization" plan for Cluster 23, which suggested that the food-related character of the Florida Market be extended, and in the document I prepared outlining a broadened "retail mix" for the Market ("Retail planning and the Florida Market") in 2008, it's good to know that these concepts have staying power.

This is also a good sign considering that in January the Washington Post reported that one of the key property owners suggested the site would be good for a soccer stadium ("D.C. United keeps hunting for a stadium").

Workshops on urban homesteading this Saturday in Mount Rainier

2011-04-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

From email:

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? As part of the Mt Rainier Better Block Project, we're hosting a series of free urban homesteading classes.
The event is scheduled to run from noon-6pm on Saturday, April 9th with a raindate of Sunday.

Find more info on the rest of the festival online here, and let us know you're coming on Facebook!

Free Urban Homesteading Classes - held in a vacant lot at approximately 3841 34th Street, 20712

Learn how to save money and eat well by growing, preparing, and preserving food at home! Eating locally is good for you and the environment, and it doesn't get any more local than your own backyard. This free workshop series is presented by Mt Rainier/Brentwood neighbors and by the Neighborhood Farm Initiative. Each class will last about 45 minutes.

12:30: Preserving herbs through drying, vinegar, and alcohol
1:30 Intro to Backyard Composting
2:30 Natural Pickling: How to make delicious live-culture pickles, kimchi, and sauerkraut
3:30 Bread & butter: How to make butter and no-knead artisan bread at home - it's simple!
4:30 Intro to Canning: The basics of canning jams/fruit, pickles, and tomatoes

Popup Urban Farm Store: Ready to get started? Finished compost, row cover, and other gardening/homesteading supplies will be available for sale by the Neighborhood Farm Initiative, and we'll have some free seeds on hand for giveaway! NFI is a non-profit educational urban farm operating in NE and SE Washington, DC - check it out! Also, available for sale will be Leafyhead Lotions and Potions.

Rising food prices and shopping smart (at Florida Market)

2011-04-06T05:11:00.001-07:00

The media, in the US and globally, is full of stories about fast rising prices for food. See "What do rising food prices mean" from the USAID blog. This is attributed to a number of things including weather-related losses, rising oil prices (which also affect the cost of fertilizers), and competition between crops grown for ethanol production rather than food.

One way to save money is buy products in larger sizes and from less costly providers.

That's as good a reason to buy at Florida Market as any I can think of...

But it's also about thinking about how you cook. For example, I have a bad habit of buying vegetables with my eyes--I buy something I see because it looks good--and then I don't get around to cooking it.

So having some regular recipes where you can cook in part to "use up" items before they go bad (or after they already are going bad) is a great strategy. Plus, it allows you to buy what we might call "seconds" in terms of quality (e.g., some of the items at Mexican Fruit) and make something really good.

- pasta sauce/ragout/primavera -- I just dice a bunch of vegetables (carrots, onions, celery, various kinds of peppers, tomatoes, etc.), throw in some garlic and spices (oregano, thyme, coriander, etc.) and cook it down. I can add sauce if I want, it's great on pasta.

- crock pot vegetable chili recipe from Martha Stewart Living magazine, I think the December issue, again, I add vegetables to this based on what is lying around in my fridge. It's a great recipe in that it uses winter squash. It's on the sweet side.

- smoothies are a great way to use fruit

- sweet breads for bananas, etc.

Florida Market mini-directory printout

2011-04-06T05:05:00.001-07:00

I just realized that I never put a link in this blog to the 8.5x11 printable handout version of the Florida Market directory created by Christopher Taylor Edwards and myself.

I'll also add a link in the right sidebar.

And yes, it's time to update it.

Goat in the city

2011-04-06T04:58:00.001-07:00

Today's Post food section article on goat, "Goat meat, the final frontier," neglected to list many sources of goat within DC ("Where to get fresh goat in the D.C. area"), with the exception of the Bloomingdale Farmers Market.

While the farmers markets and the listed farms feature locally-sourced goat, other sources listed aren't necessarily directly sourced from local farms. Many of the markets carry the same kind of goat available at vendors in the Florida Market, including:

- All-African Food Store (on 6th Street behind the Farmers Market building)
- Caribbean Crescent (Halal meats) (on 5th Street)
- Obeng International Market (300 block of Morse Street

The proprietor of All-African mentioned to me in a conversation a few years ago that he sells about 15 goats every weekend.

Although, the article points out, indirectly, that we need to update the directory information to list goat as well as "beef, pork, and poultry."

We'll change that in future versions.

Cooking the Florida Market: Banh Mi Edition

2010-09-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

I made two types of banh mi entirely with ingredients available at the Florida Market. For the uninitiated a banh mi is a delicious Vietnamese sandwich served on a French style baguette. Here are the two types that I made:

Chicken Banh Mi:
-boneless skinless chicken breast brined, rubbed with five spice powder, and sautéed in sesame oil
-cucumber
-daikon radish and carrot marinated in white vinegar, sugar and water solution
-green onions
-red onion
-cilantro
-garlic
-mayo
-fish sauce
-baguette (I bought the "French Baguette" from MS3000, but it was a tad too bready, so I fixed this by scooping out some of the bread.)
You can also add chicken liver pate if you wish. Livers are available at the DC farmers market, and various other butchers in the area. Just add some fresh herbs, butter, pepper, and garlic, and you're basically there.

Tofu Banh Mi
-tofu marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, lime juice, fresh lemon grass, ground black pepper. (I pressed and frozen the tofu before hand to change the texture and make it absorb the marinade better).
-cilantro
-Thai basil
-cucumber
-marinated carrots and daikon radish
-mayo
-fish sauce
-garlic
-jalapeno peppers
-green onions
-red onions
-baguette
You can make this sandwich vegan by using Veganaise (not available in the Florida Market), and making your own vegan fish sauce substitute (dark soy sauce, water, garlic, black pepper, dried roasted seaweed).

Where to get it:
Baguette: MS3000 or Litteri's.
Carrots: Sam Wang, Mexican Fruit.
Chicken: US Beef, DC Farmers Market, numerous butchers in the area, including Caribbean Crescent.
Cilantro: Sam Wang or Mexican Fruit.
Cucumber: Sam Wang or Mexican Fruit.
Dark soy sauce: MS3000.
Daikon Radish: Sam Wang or MS3000.
Fish Sauce: V-9 or MS3000.
Five spice powder: MS3000.
Garlic: Sam Wang or Mexican Fruit.
Green onions: Sam Wang or Mexican Fruit.
Jalapeno peppers: Sam Wang or Mexican Fruit.
Lemon grass: Sam Wang.
Limes: Sam Wang or Mexican Fruit.
Mayo: MS3000.
Pepper (whole, black): Mexican Fruit, or Don Pepe's.
Red onion: Sam Wang or Mexican Fruit.
Seaweed: Northeastern Seafood, V-9, MS3000.
Sesame oil: MS3000.
Sugar: MS3000.
Thai Basil: Sam Wang.
Tofu: Sam Wang Tofu (down the street from the main Sam Wang).
White Vinegar: MS3000.

Need guidance on putting it all together? Check out Battle of the Banh Mi.

Cooking the Florida Market: Rice Noodle Rolls Edition

2010-09-16T11:37:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I recreated a truly great version of some shrimp rice noodle rolls that I had at dim sum seven years. While that in itself was exciting enough for me, the cool thing is that I did it entirely with ingredients that you can buy at the Florida Market. Actually, I was inspired jointly by a recent dim sum craving, and a trip to the Market that unexpectedly included a stop by the storefront (by which I mean that there literally is no store, just a front) where they make and sell fresh rice noodles by the sheet. 70 cents a sheet, which weighs slightly under a pound. I went with a friend and we each bought two sheets. Steam them, fry them, cut them up into any shape you like. You get the picture. And seriously...70 cents. Other stuff I put in my shrimp rice roll:
1. shrimp;
2. scallions;
3. ginger;
4. flat leaf parsley;
5. soy sauce;
6. oyster sauce;
7. sweet chili sauce (I was hungry, and thus too lazy to make sweet soy sauce).

Not the most authentic version, but tasty none the less. I also noticed that MS3000 (which is owned by the same parent company as H Mart) sells packs of spring roll/egg roll wraps (300 block of Morse). I'm thinking you could also use them for wontons, or perhaps even some lovely kim chee dumplings. Hmm...

Easy print (8.5x14) retail directory of the Florida Market

2009-09-18T07:19:00.001-07:00

In preparation for the Florida Market retail tour tomorrow, as part of WalkingTown DC, designer Christopher Taylor Edwards has prepared an 8.5x14 (print on both sides) map and directory of the market.

In the past we have given out an 11x17 version of the prototype sign that we have, which is 32x48 inches, the same size as the wayfinding-cultural interpretation signs that have been erected around the city. But the text is too small and it doesn't really work in a black and white print.

This version is still designed in color but prints fairly well in black and white.

Florida Market Directory Handout

Florida Market tour this weekend

2009-09-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Walking Town DC, the twice yearly weekend set of walking or bicycling tours of places around the city, which is organized by CulturalTourismDC, is scheduled for this coming weekend, Saturday September 19th and Sunday September 20th.

I am leading two tours, one of the Florida Market on Saturday, and an H Street mostly alley tour on Sunday.

Explore Florida Market/Capital City Market
Saturday, September 19
11 am - 1 pm
Meet outside New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U Metro station
Florida Avenue exit (Red line)
End at Litteri’s Italian Deli, 517 Morse Street, NE

Market tour scheduled for Walking Town DC

2009-08-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

The full schedule of events for Saturday September 19th and Sunday September 20th has not been posted, but the tour of Florida Market will be at 11 am on Saturday and will last for about two hours.

Tour at the start at the New York Avenue Metro subway station. Photo by Frozen Tropics.

(Rebuilding) Local food systems

2009-08-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

I had no idea that the Washington brand of flour and the Indian Head brand of corn meal that I have bought from time to time because it is less expensive than national brands is milled locally, in Ellicott City, Maryland (note the website doesn't work very well in Firefox, try thess sub sites on corn meal and flour). This story, "Family Saga Is Hardly Run-of-the-Mill," from the Prince William County Extra section of the Washington Post, clued me in.

The next time you are buying flour or cornmeal, consider buying these products instead of the national brands.

2. And this article in today's Food section, "Farm to Hub to Table: New Nonprofit Feeds Appetite For Local Food, made me realize that this kinds of connective organizations, providing a means for small farmers to aggregate their production to reach the quantities necessary to fill large orders (note that the Santa Monica Farmers Market does a big portion of its business for growers selling to restaurants and other wholesale clients), could be created as part of community commercial kitchens and/or public markets, adding to them a "new" line of business to improve profitability, making more revenue and a better functioning local food system.

3. The other thing is to work more on training people on how to cook. Since people increasingly eat pre-prepared meals at home, as people leave home for college and then to start their own households, often they need to learn how to cook. And it's in the best interests of supermarkets, farmers markets, and public markets to teach people about preparing foods at home, otherwise they will continue to lose business to restaurants and other prepared meal sources.

I liked this article from Monday's Examiner, "Easy, healthy gourmet for the young and hungry," which gets at this, focusing on a cookbook for college students.

Freshman in the kitchen website

Florida Market proof of concept wayfinding signage

2009-05-28T03:37:00.000-07:00

The links of the signs that Christopher and I have created have been down for awhile. They've been restored:

- Florida Market Map & Directory
- Florida Market History Sign

We are still doing some tweaks and changes, but the changes to come aren't too significant from what's in the current version. But if you have any comments they'd be appreciated.

One of the reasons that DC has been reticent about creating directory signs of this type is that they have to be updated frequently, and this is costly.

While I haven't priced it out yet, it turns out Takoma Park's directory signage is done in vinyl appliques and is meant to be updated and replaced. I expect this is less expensive than the DC signs (about $6,000 including the base).

Speaking of wayfinding, Christopher writes:

That book on Wayfinding just gets better and better. I just love the way it combines our thinking I also like that it confirms many of the steps that we've done. I think our own project is especially interesting as we've done a prototype and testing phase -- something that seems to be completely missing from all wayfinding projects.

He's referring to this book, Wayfinding Handbook by David Gibson, which masterfully covers the topic.

Walking Town Tour of Florida Market this Saturday

2009-05-28T03:33:00.000-07:00

From CulturalTourismDC:

WalkingTown, DC Spring Edition 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009 - Sunday, May 31, 2009
Location: Across the City
Enjoy a weekend of more than 120 free walking tours (and a few bike tours) in neighborhoods across DC. Discover the cultural capital's vibrant street life and little-known historic treasures with professional and volunteer neighborhood guides!

Too much information? Check the overview schedule.

Explore Florida Market / Capital City Market
Saturday, May 30
10 - 11:30 am
Meet outside New York Avenue Metro station (Florida Avenue exit)
End at Litteri’s Italian Deli, 517 Morse Street, NE

The Florida Market is the city’s major wholesale food distribution center. The tour will stop at restaurants and vendors selling at retail, including the DC Farmers Market building, and address development issues that threaten the market. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Citizens Planning Coalition, Frozen Tropics weblog, Capitol Hill North Neighborhood Association, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space weblog.

Outside MS3000, Florida Market tour, Saturday 2/23/2008.

----------------
For the first 100 people, we have black and white 11x17 copies of the suggested Florida Market wayfinding signs that Christopher and I have created:

- Florida Market Map & Directory
- Florida Market History Sign

Florida Market Tour, Saturday April 4th

2009-03-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

tour guide and FL Market enthusiast
Originally uploaded by emilygoodstein

From the Capitol Hill North Neighborhood Association:

Explore Florida Market
When: Saturday, April 4, 2009
Where: Meet at the SW corner of 4th and Morse Street.
Time: 10 AM
Cost: Priceless/Free

Explore Florida Market. The tour pairs the historical significance of the market with visits to shops selling produce, food and other hard to find goods. The tour ends at A. Litteri’s the oldest continuously operating Italian deli in the city serving some of the best Italian sub sandwiches in the city!!!

Led by urban revitalization advocates, this tour is a partnership with Capitol Hill North Neighborhood Association, Trinidad Neighborhood Association, Frozen Tropics weblog, and Rebuilding Place in Urban Space weblog. Be prepared for cash only purchases and the spirit of the city’s largest wholesale market.

Flickr photo by emilygoodstein of a past Market tour. The photo features a shot of the "guerrilla wayfinding and interpretational signage" that was created by Christopher Taylor Edwards and myself. While we haven't erected actual signs (yet), we will be passing out copies.

Pdfs of the signs are here:

-- Florida Market Map & Directory
-- Florida Market History Sign

although they are in the process of being updated for next week's tour.

Putting industrial uses and residents in close proximity can be a problem

2009-02-20T07:26:00.000-08:00

One of the concerns expressed about the New Town redevelopment plan imposed on the Florida Market District through DC City Council legislation is the fact that by putting residents and industrial uses in close proximity, you add all the elements necessary to create significant conflicts.

This is an issue in lower Manhattan, with the conversion of industrial buildings into housing, and an industrial business district into a hotspot of clubs, galleries, and other uses, in places like the Meatpacking District. But it's an issue in other places too.

The New York Times has a story about this kind of interaction occuring in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, "When the Feathers Really Fly."

From the article:

MOST urban dwellers might expect their interactions with chicken, if any, to occur exclusively on a lunch or dinner plate. So when Kate Coats and her husband moved into their apartment in a new condominium building on Greenpoint Avenue in Brooklyn three months ago, they were surprised to be awakened before sunrise by what she described as screeching chickens. It’s not a fun sound at 5 a.m.” ...

The screeching apparently comes from the building next door, the 86-year-old business with the “Live Poultry Slaughter” sign and graffiti that say, “This Place Stinks” on the door of the garage. In the early morning, Ms. Coats said, chickens are delivered to the slaughterhouse in metal crates that crash to the ground, a sound echoed by chickens lustily protesting their fate...

To some, the juxtaposition of a slaughterhouse and a new residential building where condos sell for up to $675,000 is an amusing effect of gentrification. To others, it is grotesque. Several local residents have complained about seeing blood and bird parts on the sidewalk, along with feathers floating in the breeze. Calls to 311 have been numerous, and on a Greenpoint blog, a commenter described the smell emanating from the slaughterhouse as a mix of “death and ammonia.”

For what it's worth, my girlfriend always admonishes me about the romantic idea of backyard poultry, commenting about the early crowing of roosters.

This also happens in more rural areas, where housing developments on former farms bring constituencies with different ideas about what constitutes appropriate land use to "rural" "agricultural" districts.

Ironically, in Baltimore County, non-farming residents are suing a farm which put agricultural land conservation easements on its land, because they opened a farm store to sell the farms products, which is in line with the idea of increasing the revenue to local farmers instead of distributors, and "buying" and "eating" local. Is a farm just land for crops or is it a working business with a variety of revenue streams.

It makes sense to limit these kinds of conflicts, or put into place for reconciling and resolving these conflicts more equally.

Updates

2009-01-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

This blog is definitely not dead, we've just been busy, and not much legislative action has occurred. Please use the archives for all that they are worth. We'll update you as things happen. Please check the early posts for a guide to the Market.

WBJ: Florida Market Follies

2008-10-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

I missed this Washington Business Journal editorial when it came out in August, but you can still catch it online. It's short, but touches on most of the reasons that, as the author makes clear, the New Town legislation stinks big time. Yes, let's redevelop the Market, but let's do it right. You can also read the letter written in response by Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas. Check out these other recent Biz Journal articles on New Town.

New Town Hearing Tomorrow

2008-10-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

In 2006 the Council passed the New Town legislation that gave New Town Development Partners LLC exclusive rights to develop the 23 acre parcel currently occupied by the Florida Market / Capital City Market. The legislation required that before a final blessing was given to move forward the developer had to obtain [within 180 days of the legislation taking effect] the consent of the owners of at least 50% of the land in the Market. At that point the city would force the other landowners to go along with the developer's plan. The developer was unable to obtain the necessary level of consent. In fact, they still are at 50%. In part, this is because Gallaudet and J Street own large parcels of land in the Market. Combined, Gallaudet and J Street own over 25% of the Market land east of 4th Street. This is more land than is controlled by any other owner in the Market, including New Town Development Partners LLC.

Basically, your pal and mine Mr. John Ray, who is the lobbyist for New Town [you might remember him from such quality projects as the Shell Station at 14th and Maryland, or the slot machine initiative] convinced Councilmember Harry Thomas that the Council should reward the developer for failing to meet the consent threshold. By which I mean that the Councilmember has this new legislation [which he was going to try to get through as emergency legislation, but then he backed off that idea] that excludes any parcels owner by Gallaudet or J Street. So it basically just makes it easier to get the required consent because it eliminates the two largest objectors.

Read the legislation yourself here- http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/images/00001/20080919131328.pdf.

The Commitee on Economic Development is holding a public hearing tomorrow 2 October 2008 at 1:00PM. Those wishing to testify should contact John Adams at jadams@dccouncil.us or by telephone at 202-727-6683 by 5:00PM on 1 October 2008. Those testifying should bring 15 copies of their written testimony and also submit them electronically.

Tomorrow's New Town Hearing

2008-10-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the following email recently sent out by Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, and a point by point response from J Street Development and Gallaudet University. Enjoy-

---------------------------------------

From: Thomas, Harry (COUNCIL) [mailto:HThomas@DCCOUNCIL.US]
Sent: Mon 9/29/2008 5:06 PM
To: Thomas, Harry (COUNCIL)
Cc: Leonard-Chambers, Victoria (COUNCIL)
Subject: CALL FOR ACTION TO TESTIFY AT OCTOBER 2 HEARING ON FLORIDA AVENUE MARKET

September 29, 2008

RE: Request for Ward 5 Civic and Business Leaders to Testify at October 2, 2008 Hearing on Legislation Affecting the Future of the Florida Avenue Market

Dear Ward 5 Leaders:

I am calling upon you to testify in support of B17-0931, the "New Town Geographical Amendment Act of 2008." With the projected FY09 budget deficit of $131 million, it is imperative that we take the steps necessary to ensure Ward 5 projects are in line to receive TIF, PILOT, and other types of public financing. Passage of this bill forward is critical to the moving forward with redevelopment of the Florida Avenue Market and maintaining its place in the public funding pipeline.

The hearing on the bill will be Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 1 pm at the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 412. To sign up to testify, please contact Vicky Leonard-Chambers at vleonardchambers@dccouncil.us or 202.727.8204 by 3pm on Wednesday, October 1, 2008.

The bill excludes properties owned by Gallaudet University and J Street Development along the Sixth Street corridor from the New Town footprint for several reasons.

Development plans for these properties are on a slower track than development plans for the rest of the site. Gallaudet has indicated that the University must complete an internal development review process that has already been underway for several months. The University also has acknowledged that its process will likely take many more months, with no definitive date as to when it will conclude.

Gallaudet and J Street do not offer an ownership interest to the Market's merchant tenants, whereas the New Town Plan does. In fact, in a September 26, 2008 letter to me, the University and J Street outline the importance of maintaining an equity stake for the Market's property owners, but don't mention the tenants at all. For me, providing equity participation to the tenants is a must.

Gallaudet and J Street have not fully embraced the public benefits that the Act requires, including affordable housing, recreational facilities, and a public library, among other things. These public benefits represent amenities that the community has indicated it wants at the site.

Gallaudet and J Street have no plans to maintain the wholesale functions that make the Florida Avenue Market so unique and important the fabric of Ward 5.

Redefining the New Town boundaries is a win-win for everyone. It allows both Gallaudet and J Street to develop their properties as they see fit and on timetables that work best for them. It also allows New Town Development Partners LLC, the city's designated master developer, to move forward more quickly with the project and bring to reality the vision of the New Town law enacted by the Council in 2006. If Gallaudet and J Street successfully complete their discussions with the Deputy Mayor and the developer, the Council may still include these parcels in the Final Conceptual Plan it approves.

We cannot perpetuate the status quo of flagrant health code violations and pedestrian unfriendliness that currently define the market experience. The New Town plan accomplishes the District's revitalization goals for the market and creates a unique destination venue for residents and visitors.

And as you know the New Town Plan has had broad community support and has been vetted through numerous community meetings and City Council hearings. And as the Plan moves forward, all stakeholders will have many more opportunities to provide input before the Executive Branch, the City Council, and the Zoning Commission.

As a Ward 5 civic leader, your voice on this matter is very important. I ask that you testify on behalf of B17-0931, the "New Town Geographical Amendment Act of 2008."

Sincerely,

Harry "Tommy" Thomas, Jr.

Ward 5 Councilmember

--------------------------------------------------------------

Response to Statements Made to Community by Councilmember Harry Thomas

Statement: The bill excludes properties owned by Gallaudet University and J Street Development along the Sixth Street corridor from the New Town footprint for several reasons.

1. Development plans for these properties are on a slower track than development plans for the rest of the site. Gallaudet has indicated that the University must complete an internal development review process that has already been underway for several months. The University also has acknowledged that its process will likely take many more months, with no definitive date as to when it will conclude.

EAJ/Gallaudet Response: The University indicated clearly last spring that we would have the conceptual elements of a plan in October of this year. To that end, we have been vigorously engaged in a planning process that has been openly shared with neighborhood residents and owners and merchants in the Market area. Our internal marketing analysis will be completed in a few weeks and the first phase of the land plan has been completed and will be shared with Council Members this week.

The University and EAJ are ready to proceed.

2. Gallaudet and J Street do not offer an ownership interest to the Market's merchant tenants, whereas the New Town Plan does. In fact, in a September 26, 2008 letter to me, the University and J Street outline the importance of maintaining an equity stake for the Market's property owners, but don't mention the tenants at all. For me, providing equity participation to the tenants is a must.

EAJ/Gallaudet Response: Gallaudet does not disagree with Council Member Thomas’ views and welcomes further discussion. We have always believed that to maintain the character of the Florida Avenue Market, we must continuously involve other landowners and merchants in the vicinity. A coordinated effort between EAJ, Gallaudet, New Town and individual property owners is in the best interest of not only the property owners but residents and visitors.
For that reason, our plan has taken into consideration – from our initial foray into the Market – participation and input from tenants. We have been very involved and transparent with the Merchant’s Association via their president, Paul Pascal, and have had countless meetings – one-on-one and in groups – with various tenants and landowners and will continue to do this. We have also tried repeatedly to meet with New Town to discuss ways we could work together with no interest returned on their part.
EAJ/Gallaudet has been the team that has put its money on the table – we have fee simple ownership of over 25% of the Market properties east of Fourth Street. Together we own more land in the Market area than any other property owner. We have shown respect and consideration for the tenants and owners within the Market and have demonstrated total commitment to working as a team with a number of developers, owners, the City and Market tenants.

3. Gallaudet and J Street have not fully embraced the public benefits that the Act requires, including affordable housing, recreational facilities, and a public library, among other things. These public benefits represent amenities that the community has indicated it wants at the site.

EAJ/Gallaudet Response: This team fully supports the valuable role affordable housing and public amenities play in a vibrant community and, in fact, as local residents and investors, have a vested interest in how those amenities would be integrated into any plan for the Market.

We believe the plan we are developing allows for these kinds of facilities be an important part of the market.

4. Gallaudet and J Street have no plans to maintain the wholesale functions that make the Florida Avenue Market so unique and important the fabric of Ward 5.

EAJ/Gallaudet Response: This is inaccurate. The EAJ/Gallaudet team has every intention of maintaining the Farmers Market at Florida Avenue. As owners of this parcel, we have made this clear to tenants and in meetings with various stakeholders over the last 6 months. The Farmers Market is a unique, character-rich feature of Washington D.C. proper and, as such, would be treated as the exciting core of the project, making this a vibrant draw for neighbors and visitors.
EAJ/Gallaudet, along with Williams & Dame, is the ONLY team that brings world class experience and proven results in the development of vibrant public markets to this important community development.

We are excited to share our plans with the stakeholders and begin the process of urban revitalization of the Market.

Market tour this Saturday

2008-09-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

In September and April, CulturalTourismDC sponsors WalkingTownDC, an open house of sorts featuring tours around the city. This month, it's on Saturday September 20th and Sunday September 21st.

Richard Layman, Elise Bernard, and Ken Firestone will be doing a tour of the Florida Market. (If you want to meet us for breakfast, meet at K-Young's at 8 am...) The tour meets at the North exit of the New York Avenue (really Florida Avenue) Metro Station at 9 am. Paul Pascal, of the Market Property Owners and Merchants Association, will also be speaking about current development proposals.

We will be passing out a black and white 11x17 version of these documents:

-- Florida Market Map & Directory
-- Florida Market History Sign

although I don't know if the map side will be the "final" version as we are still debating some changes, which are in process.

Greater Greater Washington produces a very usable visible schedule of the Walking Town tours. See the entry: Fall WalkingTown DC visual schedule.

Councilman shifts market legislation timetable

2008-09-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

From the Washington Business Journal:

Legislation to shrink the footprint of a proposed Florida Avenue Market redevelopment won’t be considered Sept. 16 in an emergency vote, as previously suggested by Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., D-Ward 5.

Though Thomas filed the paperwork for an emergency filing, which would not require a hearing or committee vote on the bill, his spokeswoman, Vicky Leonard-Chambers, said after seeking support from council colleagues he had reconsidered.

“We’re going to introduce it as permanent legislation,” she said. The bill will likely be sent to the D.C. Council’s economic development committee.

New York-based Apollo Real Estate Advisors LP and landowner Sang Oh Choi, were selected by the council in 2006 to transform what is now a 24-acre mix of wholesale food distributors and warehouses into a more dense mix of housing and hundreds of specialty shops, but are required to first acquire 50 percent of the land.

Shrinking the project’s size could help the developers reach that mark, but some of the property owners complained to council members in a letter from attorney Paul Pascal that the issue get a hearing so it could be “thoroughly reviewed and comments received by all those impacted.”

Final version of the Florida Market "Guerrilla" Wayfinding and Directional Signs

2008-09-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

It took awhile to correct bits and pieces and strays, but to the best of our knowledge, these signs are now "complete," recognizing that if they are erected, place-specific "you are here" markers would have to be added to the map sides of the signs.

We have added a few services (Hess, Grainger, PNC, Maurice Electric) to the list and map, as well as lodging and nightlife categories. We added a wi-fi icon, not that places in the Market offer such services at this time, but to encourage its offering.

map and directory side
interpretation side

Part of why I wanted to take a crack at producing these signs was to show how [1] intra-district directory information can be provided within the typology of the DC wayfinding signage system--currently this option doesn't really exist; and [2] neighborhood/district history could be communicated thematically through signage, without necessarily having to have a "heritage trail" system. (Larger versions of the interpretation side could be used as a model for neighborhood history interpretation signage in bus shelters.)

We used a hybrid of the Heritage Trail sign system managed by Cultural Tourism DC and the Discover DC signage system managed by the DC Department of Transportation. But we changed the header to "Explore" rather than "Discover" to better reach out to people who aren't tourists, to people who live here and have "discovered" DC already but are still eager to learn about places we don't know.

Another aspect of the map side of the sign that is a breakthrough concerns how transit is depicted on the map. Most non-transit maps in the area use railroad tracks as the graphic element to depict subway lines. Instead, to show the path of the red line subway, we used the same graphic style as the WMATA subway map--likely the region's most recognized map. We extended this idea and depict bus lines using the graphic elements from the WMATA bus maps.
he subway map instead of a railroad track to denote the line. (This isn't a first exactly, but it is still rare. DDOT and DCOP maps don't do this.)

A broader interpretation system could be created for the area from Union Station to the Florida Market. A broader directional and interpretation system could be created for Union Station, NoMA, and the Florida Market, and include specific interpretational signage on the the area's railroad and transportation history. In other words, Explore Union Station, Explore NoMA, and Explore Florida Market could be part of one broader directional and interpretation system.

Additionally, I think it's important to create "transit wayfinding" explanatory signage for Union Station, to explain to visitors the various ways of getting around other than automobiles, since Union Station is the primary hub for all of those other forms of transit.

We will distribute an 11x17 black and white two-sided version at the Cultural Tourism DC tour on Saturday 9/20.

Christopher Taylor Edwards of This is None: Storytelling by Design, served as the art director-designer for this project. (THANK YOU!)

Notes From Closed Meeting RE: New Town

2008-08-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

These are my condensed very unofficial personal notes from the meeting. I just tried to capture the highlights and overall tone. I also have included my comments in italics. Nothing is verbatim unless it says otherwise. This was a closed meeting for the developers, landowners, and merchants, but commissioners from ANC 5B were also invited. As you can see the topic was the Capital City Market/Florida Market and the New Town proposal. You can find lots of other info on this by searching this blog for the words NEW TOWN. You can also check out the link just above to the Capital City Market blog to read articles from elsewhere. Here's an old Post piece from late 2006 that offers a bit of history.

Harry Thomas Jr. [Ward 5 Councilmember]- Expressed his dislike for eminent domain.

Paul Pascal [represents the Florida Avenue Market Merchants and Property Owners Association]- What about the Washington Business Journal article that is currently online and comes out in Friday's print edition? Why does it mention eminent domain [Thomas was interviewed for the article]?

Thomas- We [the Council] never tried to institute eminent domain and have never tried to force anyone into agreement by clamping down on zoning or other violations in the Market. [The legislation did include eminent domain language and the District has ramped up various enforcement efforts in the Market. I attended a 5-D CAC, 5th District Citizens Advisory Council, meeting where a rep from the Mayor's office discussed such ramped up enforcement and showed pictures of dumpsters and trash in drainage grates and advised people not to shop in or go to the Market because it was dirty and unsafe. She was unable to identify the locations where the photos were taken and when challenged that many merchants were not in violation, there are hundreds of merchants, conceded that one or two might be in compliance.]

Thomas' comments also seemed to indicate that rather than resume the Office of Planning's Small Area Plan, which is a great tool for community input and information sharing, this new plan, which differs in a very significant way from the old legislation, would simply go to the Council for approval. This differs notably from what ANC 5B's counsel had previously been told by both a representative from the Office of the Deputy Mayor and a representative from the Office of Planning. These two representatives indicated that the Small Area Plan would resume, be completed [perhaps in September], and then that could be used as a guidepost for the development legislation.

Pascal- I've been kept out of many discussions. Merchants and landowners haven't been included. Is District owned land part of the 50 percent required for approval [DC is a large landowner in the 24 acre Market]?

Thomas- Yes, District owned land will be included in the 50 percent. Pascal has been included in all government sponsored meetings [Pascal had previously indicated that he received no notice of this government sponsored meeting]. We must act now because funds are limited. We must look at DC's bond rating because that will limit how long funds are available. All ANCs in Ward 5 are on record as supporting New Town [actually ANC 5B is on record, per a letter sent to all Councilmembers, and to which Councilmember Thomas responded, as opposing New Town. It's just that this was a change in the ANC's position]. The New Town legislation is not expired because there is a difference between the temporary legislation and the permanent legislation [both contained David Catania's 180 day language so the latest possible expiration was in October of 2007. Plus, removing the land owned by Gallaudet and J Street materially changes the legislation, so this would be new legislation. It's either expired or not, you can't just change it and say it's the old legislation, but certain provisions now don't apply. Plus, should we really spend limited District funds on a developer with no previous development experience].

Landowner- I haven't heard anything for over a year, and that's a long time. Pascal who reps the landowners and merchants association didn't get notice of this meeting. How many land owners here feel they haven't been informed or included in the process? [Many hands are raised].

Thomas makes a frustrated reference to a slowdown due to a group that got ANC 6C involved.

Merchant or Landowner- Will you be using eminent domain?

Thomas- I haven't sought it, but it can't be ruled out. It might come from the executive branch.

Landowner- I'm concerned about eminent domain and not being included in discussions [not contacted by the city/New Town developer].

Jim Simmons [Apollo Development, a NY based firm that is partnering with Choi, the new town developer and its rep John Ray- There are many different owners in the Market. The time frame made it impossible to talk to them all. We talked to the largest owners first. We tried to include landowners. We will eventually talk to them all. The creature itself is a creation of the Act. It has been discussed with the Office of Planning, the Executive branch, and the Developer. We have met with 15 landowners [there are around 70].

Landowner- This violates due process, and is therefore Unconstitutional.

Simmons- This is a public/private partnership and the process has therefore been bifurcated with the developer just promising to develop, and the legislative branch drawing up the plan.

Landowner- This shows disdain for landowners and merchants. You are treating us like children.

Thomas- This is the legislative process. We passed the legislation.

Landowner- The Market isn't blighted. We're at 100 percent occupancy with others waiting to get in. It isn't hard to rent out space in the Market. It's a thriving business community.

Thomas- the Market is full of violations of all sorts. Everyday the District protects and helps the Market by not going in there to inspect. This legislation could be our last chance to save the Market. Look at Eastern Market. The District didn't maintain it and look what happened to it [Part of Eastern Market burned down. It has since been replaced with a bustling temporary building and the District is renovating the original building. Interestingly Eastern Market was almost torn down in the 1960s to become a parking lot, but this was averted due to community pressure].

Landowner [Ms. Pascal]- The Market is safer and cleaner than it was in 1955 when I brought my husband into the Market [Ms. Pascal is a second generation landowner in the Market]. At that point we actually had livestock, like living chickens and such, in the Market. I didn't see a copy of the plan until it was in its second iteration. This is railroading. Apollo should apologize to the merchants and landowners.

Thomas- There is always disagreement. We need to look at large landowners first for feasibility reasons. I'd be willing to have weekly meetings out of my office.

Fred Weiner [Special Asst to the President for Planning for Gallaudet University]- I see frustration because people don't see a way to get involved. Would you accept alternative ideas if stakeholders submitted them?

Thomas- Fred, I've met with you I don't know how many times. We don't have time to wait for Gallaudet because of the economy. We could accept submissions of alternative ideas.

Simmons- There is some misunderstanding here. There was a plan in place when Apollo came to the table. The plan came from the legislation. We merely inherited it. [Everything in the findings section of the legislation is non-binding and it clearly states it merely provides ideas for negotiation].

Pascal- This is the first time post-legislation that the plans have been laid out. The original New Town developer, Choi, and John Ray basically drafted the legislation. The Association is merely a conduit for distributing information. I don't represent any of the merchants or landowners personally.

Landowner- asks Simmons how much support among landowners they have for the project.

Simmons- Around 40 percent of the landowners if you exclude the land owned by Gallaudet and J Street, but include the land owned by the District. We can't say which landowners without their permission because we had them all sign confidentiality agreements by which both sides are bound.

Pascal- This is not the same legislation as the passed New Town Act because it doesn't include Gallaudet's land, or that owned by J Street, and that materially changes the legislation.

Thomas- J Street came to the table late. Gallaudet and J Street can still participate, or not participate. Their land just won't be part of the 50 percent necessary for approval.

Brady Pate [Representative of development team J Street and EHA]- We've been told that the Act is expired.

Thomas- My office never told you the act was expired. The government never told you the act was expired [I'm currently looking at a July 2007 letter from the then Attorney General for DC stating that the temporary legislation, which I believe was passed at the same time as the permanent legislation, would expire in October of 2007. This would be the same for the permanent legislation because the expiration was dictated by an internal 180 day clause].

Landowner- Would it be possible for a coalition of landowners, if the land was large enough, to be excluded from the Act like you've excluded J Street and Gallaudet if we didn't want to do anything with our land?

Thomas- So what does that mean when you say you don't want to do anything with your land? So you are saying you just want to leave it...

Landowner- No, I meant not be part of this plan. Do our own thing.

Thomas- No, not feasible.

Landowner- This is discrimination. This is a sham.

John Ray [agent for New Town developer Choi who is partnered with Apollo]- Apollo did not create this plan. DC wants housing. It wants 20 percent affordable housing here [Harry Thomas' website says the development will include between 20 and 40 percent affordable house. I think the original Act called for a minimum of percent affordable housing, and a goal of 40 percent]. DC wants a YMCA [a potential inclusion in New Town]. The City came up with the plan. We need a zoning change. Your taxes just came in higher, and J Street got involved, out of anticipation of this plan. Pascal met with me early on and he told me he would organize the merchants and landowners. We thought he was your agent. You could have come to the Small Area Plan meetings at Gallaudet earlier [Choi/Ray/Apollo successfully requested that the Small Area Plan be paused, thus rendering it totally ineffective if it is never completed. Even if the Small Area Plan is completed it only becomes binding if approved by the Council]. The 180 days clause was always meaningless because there is no penalty specified for violating the expiration time limit. This Act always had to come back to the Council for approval. [Actually the Act created a grant of administrative power that lapsed when the 180 days ended]. The Council has the power to change all of it at any time. The Council laid out the plans. You will benefit when your property values rise, but your property has to be changed from a warehouse.

Thomas- Look at other developments and TIF [Tax Increment Financing] funds. Look at 14th Street. You aren't seeing the opportunity. [Another good, but unmentioned, option would be to utilize Community Development Block Grants for existing merchants to fix up their own places, while also allowing new development in the Market].

Weiner- We've been in conversations with a lot of people. We intend to work with everyone, the city, the other developers, the landowners, the merchants, the Office of Planning, and the residents with, or without, the legislation. The New Town legislation shouldn't exclude land owned by Gallaudet and J Street.

Alexander Chae [represents an Asian merchants association]- I sampled merchants just before this meeting, and that's why I came in late. The legislation should include J Street and Gallaudet. 30 percent were very interested in the New Town idea. 70 percent would look at other considerations such as the economy, nearby construction, and taxes. 20 percent of the 70 percent would support the idea of New Town if their concerns were adequately addressed.

Thomas- The exclusive development rights proposed under New Town would include a provision stabilizing merchant rents for 2 years. We need a continuing flow of revenue for these businesses to survive and that is only possible with large scale development by 1, or a few parties because of the number of violations in the Market. We go in there and we'll have to start shutting people down until they comply. We talking about people not conducting business for at least a year if things are done right and these places would go out of business.

Landowner [Ms. Pascal]- We're not like 14th Street. 14th Street was destroyed and mostly burned to the ground in the 1968 riots. We're not looking at a place where you can just come in and rebuild from vacant lots. We are talking about thriving businesses here.

Thomas- We don't want this to be about national chains. This is about local merchants. Read the legislation.

Simmons- It is very difficult, at least I'm told, to stage a PUD [Planned Unit Development] process. You've got to do it all at once, not piecemeal. Any rezoning can only increase your land value. We've already been told that the buildings are historic, so we'll have to preserve them [although the Office of Planning did refer to many Market structures as historic, none have been officially designated as such, and they are thus not protected. The language in the New Town Act acknowledges that the structures are historic, but only requires them to be preserved if the developer and the Office of Planning find it to be impractical. That's not a high bar, and I'd say the commitment from Apollo/Choi/Ray is dubious considering that the partnered on the adjacent Gateway Market Residences and they demolished an identical historic building in the process].

Some other comments did follow, but they basically repeated what is related above.

===================
UPDATE
===================

I have made some changes to the post above. Most were typos, or adding links to explain certain terms. A few added context or clarified, but a couple were substantive. I went back and verified the original language about affordable housing [20 percent minimum with a goal of 40 percent], and the language regarding the historic preservation was IMPRACTICAL, not INFEASIBLE. Otherwise things are pretty much the same. Also, Harry Thomas' YES was in answer to the question of whether DC owned land would be included in the 50 percent required for approval.

=====================
UPDATE
=====================

I've just been told the Small Area Plan is going to be restarted, which is great news. I guess I misinterpreted Councilmember Thomas' comments on that issue. The Small Area Plan is very important, and it's a great way to keep everyone involved and informed. The Small Area Plan is not about New Town, but is rather a parallel feasibility study of the Market and its various potential uses. Once completed, aspects of the Small Area Plan can be used to guide the development process.

Tour and stuff

2008-04-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

In February, we did a tour of the market with not quite 40 people in attendance. I haven't posted any photos, but as always it was a great experience.

There is another tour coming up Saturday April 25th as part of the Walking Town DC set of tours sponsored by CulturalTourismDC, and this time we will have a map and some information to pass out... and somehow, we'll put a link up to that soon-to-be-created document here.

Anyway, one of the people who came on the tour took her boyfriend to Florida Market this past weekend. He's French, and because he had never seen a market district in the U.S., he believed that such didn't exist here, unlike in France and the rest of Europe. He was ecstatic. (Now we have to take him to the Strip District in Pittsburgh.)

Sarah said that the two bags of fruit and vegetables they bought at Mexican Fruit cost $7.

In Shaw: Obeng

2008-04-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

The first in a planned series on different retail merchants at the Florida Market. In this edition the blogger behind In Shaw visits Obeng, a store that specializes in African foods.

Public markets and market districts

2007-11-21T05:34:00.001-08:00

Photo by Maria Brady.

Last Sunday's Travel Section in the New York Times focused on food. Check out this great piece on markets, "Markets as Both Feast and Spectacle."

Something that always catches me about public markets and market districts is that they can be incredibly diverse places, featuring people of widely varying mix of ethnicities, incomes, races, etc. In DC, Eastern Market is probably one of the only truly diverse places in the city. And the Maine Avenue and Florida Markets are great places for mixing too. I thought of this quite a bit while listening to Richard Sennett about how the future of planning is in managing for contraction and disruption.

Markets like Pike Place, the Strip District, the Portland Saturday Farmers Market, the Greenmarket in Union Square, St. Paul's Farmers Market, the Waverly (32nd Street) Market and Baltimore Farmers Markets in Baltimore, Lexington, Italian Market and Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia are definitely feast and spectacle. Like Mimi Sheraton, I always check out farmers and public markets in the cities I visit.

Speaking of great food deals, we needed ground cumin and while shopping at traditional grocery stores (Harris-Teeter, Giant) it wasn't in stock. I went to Obeng International at Florida Market when I happened to be nearby and I found a six ounce container for $2.99. (They were out of stock on the smaller size.) Then, I was at Giant the next day and they had it in stock again; 0.9 ounces cost $3.19.

Whether it's cow something or something more familiar, chances are good you can find it at Florida Market.

At a very good price.

Recent Market Articles

2007-10-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

--------------------------------
Reprinted from Frozen Tropics
--------------------------------

Due to a busy schedule recently I've missed a few articles that should have made it up here. Here are three pieces on the Florida Market that you might want to check out (with comments):
Market for Change (Washington Times, 9/16/07):

-Last time I checked Catholic was in Northeast, not Northwest
-The article incorrectly states that Catania's provision requires the approval of 50% of the 69 land owners. The requirement actually says that New Town needs the approval of owners of 50% of the land (based on the way the land is chopped up, that would be [you would need all the larger land owners] way less than 50% of the 69 owners). So does that mean that when Thomas says 45%, that this means owners of 45% of the land, or 45% of the land owners?

*Quotes to notice: -"Fewer than 100 markets of its type remain across the country, said David O'Neil, a senior associate with the New York-based nonprofit Project for Public Spaces."

*You might remember the Project for Public Spaces from the starburst Plaza meetings.

-"Through the years, Capital City Market has remained the foremost wholesale supplier for most restaurateurs in the region. "-"Gallaudet University, which owns nearly four acres on Sixth Street where the wholesaler's warehouse would go, also has no interest in seeing such a structure on its land."

-"So Gallaudet would once again be walled off from the community — which, of course, we would object to." *Gallaudet is one of the largest landowners in the Market.

-"They can build the Taj Majal here as long as the community is considered for the jobs and gets a piece of the pie," said Wilhelmina Lawson, an D.C. advisory neighborhood commissioner in the area." *Interesting approach to planning for the future, no?

Florida Avenue Market Faces Dueling Development Plans (DC North 9/2007)

-just a quick blub at the bottom about the New Town plan and the Office of Planning's Small Area Plan

Shop Around at the Capital City Market (Washington Post Sunday Source 9/30/2007)-link to addresses here.
-There is also an easy to miss map hiding in the page.
To download it click on "Read +"

You may also wish to check out Gallaudet's page on the Market. I think the letter (5/2007), is particularly interesting.

Public markets are great public places

2007-09-27T11:14:00.001-07:00

The Project for Public Spaces has come out with their latest newsletter. The September issue focuses on public markets.

East New York Farmers Market, Brooklyn, New York.

The Future of Markets

This summer, PPS brought together experts from across the U.S. in a frank discussion about what the future holds for public markets. With the markets renaissance going strong for more than twenty years, we asked, "What's left for the markets movement to accomplish?" In a word, our panelists unanimously responded: "Plenty."

[read the full article]

Florida Market planning process begins again

2007-09-25T04:46:00.001-07:00

Florida Market planning process postcard
Originally uploaded by rllayman

"Public" markets and farmers markets and food marketing in DC

2007-07-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

Public and farmers markets tend to have public (government) involvement. Technically, a public market is a building like Eastern Market. But for all intents and purposes, the privately owned "DC Farmers Market" and the wholesale and retail food district that surrounds it, "The Florida Market" and the Maine Avenue Seafood Market in Southwest DC are public markets, even though they are privately owned.

Belvedere Square in Baltimore is an upscale privately owned "public" market, but in Baltimore there are six publicly owned markets, including Lexington Market.

I am on the board of Eastern Market. Technically, it is a "community advisory committee." I went on earlier in the year, and the fire and dealing with the aftermath has made me take the responsibility much more seriously.

Last September, I wrote a memo about cultural resources and assets in the city and how they are funded and managed. (See "Cultural resources planning in DC: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" for the full memo.) In that memo is the suggestion that public and farmers markets be managed together and in one entity.

The Eastern Market legislation creating the management structure and community advisory council calls for a nonprofit entity management structure. But I think the legislation was too parochial in two ways. First, Eastern Market belongs to all of us in the city, not just to the residents of Capitol Hill. Second, there needs to be a broader structure managing and planning for all the markets, not just Eastern Market.

The Central Market in Lancaster Pennsylvania has a "master plan," with 10 goals. In doing the plan, they looked at the organizational structure too, and created the Central Market Trust.

I wonder if a structure like that is in order for DC, but more along the lines of Baltimore. Technically, Baltimore has two separate public markets organizations, the Lexington Market and the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation. But these organizations are consolidating, under the directorship of Casper Genco, who originally managed only the Lexington Market.

Getting back to Lancaster, here are the goals and actions for the Market there:

Action 1: Continue City ownership of the building allied with a new, proactive management structure for business operations

Action 2: Understand, quantify and manage financial issues, resources and opportunities to generate more business

Action 3: Develop a comprehensive and flexible approach to customer needs, standholder mix and product balance to expand the customer base

Action 4: Change ordinances, regulations and leases

Action 5: Ensure appropriate preservation of the 1889 building over the long term

Action 6: Address interior building and system improvements

Action 7: Reinforce and enhance the relationship of the Market House to the surrounding urban areas

Action 8: Support economic development initiatives that strengthen Central Market and the city center

Action 9: Enhance the community’s awareness of this key civic gathering place

Action 10: Continue to invite others to enjoy this unique and historic place

Without setting priorities, it's very difficult to plan. At the same time, it's very difficult to assist the markets in addressing competition.

This comes to mind because of the fact that more and more people are eating prepared foods, or they need to learn how to cook.

If there were a master plan for Eastern Market or Florida Market, these trends could be addressed. E.g., with the recovery of the basement of Eastern Market as a fully usable area, somehow a demonstration kitchen could go into the facility, as exists in places like La Boqueria in Barcelona, or the River Market in Little Rock.

One of the ways to pay for this would be to use the kitchen for cooking training for K-12 students, government food supplement programs (WIC, food stamps, senior nutrition, etc.), and people like me.

Teaching Kitchen, River Market, Little Rock, Arkansas. Photo courtesy Daman Hoffmann.

The Daytona Beach News Journal has a piece about Publix supermarkets, one of the most successful companies in its field, and how it is addressing the rise of the "meal assembly centers" by opening its own. See "Starved for time and a home-cooked meal." From the article:

The Lakeland-based chain will open its first Make-Ahead Meal outlet in the Jacksonville area this fall. The store is an extension of Publix Apron's program, which includes recipes, simple meals and cooking schools, spokesman Dwaine Stevens said. Another pilot store is slated for the Tampa Bay area...

Under Apron's Make-Ahead Meals, customers can register online for a meals-assembly session. At the session, the ready-to-cook ingredients are prepared and ready to assemble. The meals are then built and packaged for customers to freeze and use later. They are seen as a boon to time-starved families as well as those who are just don't feel like cooking. .

For more than one year, I've been suggesting such a site for Florida Market, but there is no reason that one couldn't go into the basement of Eastern Market, and be run "collectively" by the vendors, being supplied with food they provide.

From the article on Publix:

Bill Greer, a spokesman with the Food Marketing Institute, said supermarkets are always looking at ways to remain competitive and to do this, companies pay close attention to consumers.

Greer said prepared foods are one of the high-growth areas for supermarkets. "A lot of people don't know how to cook or don't want to cook," he said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C.

Supermarkets will do what it takes to hold and attract consumers, he said, be it the introduction of more prepared foods in the deli section or meal assembly programs, which are a faster way to cook.

Shouldn't the Public and Farmers Markets in the city be competitive too?

Story in the Washington Business Journal

2007-06-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

(quotes Elise Bernard, webmaster of this very blog).

Future of Florida Avenue Market is up for grabs

Washington Business Journal - June 29, 2007

by Prabha Natarajan and Erin Killian

Staff Reporters

Joanne S. Lawton
Taking stock: Jenny Kim, part owner of MS Food Service, and company spokesman Michael Cha fear revitalization will put them out of business (see sidebar).
View Larger

Residents, customers and merchants of the bustling Florida Avenue Market in Northeast D.C. have long endured its gritty warehouses, barred windows and the missing letters on the sign bearing the name Union Market, its original label from the 1930s, when the city used the site for hundreds of retailers displaced by new government buildings.

The market's shabbiness has lingered undisturbed for years, stymied by the daunting task of bringing together the 24-acre market's 69 landowners, many of them immigrants, to decide on the best use of the property.

Now, two opposing factions are sparring over competing plans that will determine the future of the historic market.

New Town Development LLC of D.C., an entity of landlord-turned-developer Sang Oh Choi, won development rights to some parcels of the market from the D.C. Council and wants to create a dense residential neighborhood with more than 400 small ethnic and specialty shops, a la New York City's SoHo or TriBeCa.

But the market's existing businesses, landowners and stakeholders, galvanized by what they perceive as a threat to their livelihood, have created their own version of the market's future, with help from Mayor Adrian Fenty's Office of Planning.

They would retain the existing uses, while adding residential and office use. They also want to make the roads pedestrian friendly and spruce up the gritty, dimly lit stores to be more welcoming to shoppers.

Florida Avenue Market, also known as Capitol City Market, opened in 1929 as a produce warehouse along Fourth and Fifth streets NE and Morse Street. Gradually, it spread to Florida Avenue NE on the south side, Penn Street NE to the north, Sixth Street NE to the east and the railway tracks to the west. The property includes Union Market, D.C. Farmers Market, wholesale operations and specialty stores.

Over the decades, the area became the major produce and food distribution center for the District's restaurants and corner grocers. But with D.C. transforming its old neighborhoods and gentrifying its inner-city streets, like the redevelopment of the area north of Massachusetts Avenue to its south, the market is ripe for change.

That's where Choi, the operator of Sam Wang Produce Inc. in the market, comes in. Choi, who has some political clout with former Councilman Vincent Orange through lobbyist John Ray, got the council to endorse his master plan for the market as the model in the "New Town at Capital City Market Revitalization Development and Public/Private Partnership Emergency Act," passed last December.

The law gives Choi until Sept. 10 to purchase more than 50 percent of the land. If he hits that target, the District government will aid in acquiring the rest of the property through available options, including eminent domain, negotiations, tax relief and subsidies to nonsubscribing landowners.

The heart of the difference between the sketches of Choi and the Office of Planning is whether transit-oriented, mixed-use development should be the template the District uses for all land parcels near Metro stations.

In this case, the New York Avenue Metro station, about a block away, is one of the reasons the council has pegged the current market as "an underutilized resource" that could be rebuilt to create affordable housing, said Councilman Harry "Tommy" Thomas, D-Ward 5.

On the other hand, the Office of Planning sees the market as an exception to the rule.

Dismantling it would have too huge an impact on area grocers and restaurants, which may be forced to bring in specialty foods from other cities. Further, putting residences next to warehouses that receive delivery trucks at all hours makes little sense, said Harriet Tregoning, the District's planning director.

"The New Town development plan is what someone hopes for a large piece of property, most of which they don't own or control," Tregoning said. "A lot of developers have aspirations for many sites in the city. But having an aspiration doesn't mean that is the vision that is developed."

The conflict was not publicized last week when Thomas' office touted Choi's coup in signing New York-based Apollo Real Estate Advisors as the financial backer of the New Town project.

Thomas said New Town is working to win over merchants and owners, including Gallaudet University, which holds 3.9 acres in the market.

"We have heard the message from the stakeholders," said Jim Simmons, partner at Apollo Real Estate Advisors. "As is often the case when there is development, there sometimes is fear, misinformation and lack of communication. The process that has been put in place now will hopefully alleviate many of the concerns people have. This development is meant to be inclusive of the present owners, tenants and community."

Planning officials acknowledge their efforts may be in vain. Because the conceptual plan for the market is done, as a result of the law passed last year, the council has authority to use or ignore their work.

"We are waiting to figure where to go and who to give our conceptual plan to," said Jeff Davis, a Ward 6 neighborhood planner who is part of the study.

Sidebar

Fears of being driven out of 'New Town'

Jenny and Ho Kim are resigned to shutting down their wholesale and retail business in one of D.C.'s oldest markets, certain that a proposed mixed-use development threatens its existence.

The Kims, who bought half of the 20-year-old MS Food Service at 350 Morse St. NE in the Florida Avenue Market a year ago, have a busy store that generates $3 million in monthly revenue by supplying retail and restaurant clients with everything from noodles to soy sauce.

But the Kims are on a month-to-month lease, and their landlord could kick them out at any time, especially if he decides to join forces with Sang Oh Choi of Sang Oh Development LLC, who is leading a charge to redevelop 24 acres near the New York Avenue Metro station into a project Choi has dubbed New Town.

The landlord, Min Kang, wants to "make as much money as possible" in the market's development, said his property manager, Nick Deoudes of Bethesda-based Deoudes-Magafan Realty Inc. But the Kims could have more time than they may believe, Deoudes added, because zoning changes can take three to four years.

If the proposal proceeds as is -- and Choi gets half the landowners to agree to sell -- dozens of retailers and wholesalers who have operated businesses in the market for decades may have the option to move into the warehouse by buying retail condominiums. However, the real estate will most likely be much costlier than they pay now, and some fear there will not be enough space for many retailers to operate, including areas to load and unload trucks.

To make way for his plan, Choi would have to demolish the 28,000-square-foot warehouse where the Kims do business.

"If [Choi] develops the area, we have no place to go," Jenny Kim said. "There's no place like this where we can do business."

Businesses and landowners have formed the Florida Avenue Property Owners and Merchants Association to fight the evolving development.

The retailers "have been slow to fight this because they're immigrants," said Elise Bernard, an Advisory Neighborhood Commission member who spoke against the New Town plan at a D.C. Office of Planning meeting in April. "They come from places where it doesn't matter, where the government is going to do what it's going to do."

Giving them a voice is attorney Paul Pascal, who represents 70 landowners and retailers, including MS Food Service.

Although the association is against the New Town plan, if the project goes forward it should at least include improvements like cleaner buildings and more signs to gain greater visibility, Pascal said.

"Our goal is to see that the market is preserved," he said. "Everybody wants to keep the merchants intact. There is no other land in the region that can build a market like that."

The kinds of offerings that can be added to the Florida Market

2007-06-29T03:50:00.000-07:00

1. A kitchen-based business incubator, like La Cocina in San Francisco (which operates like a similar facility in Athens, Ohio). See this article from last Saturday's New York Times, "For Women, a Recipe to Create a Successful Business."

2. "Meal assembly centers." See "Cooking, Henry Ford-style." from the Financial Times.

And don't forget tomorrow's tour of the Florida Market....

Florida Market tour Saturday, June 30th

2007-06-26T05:42:00.001-07:00

Elise Bernard and I set one week from Saturday, June 30th, as the date for our next tour of the Florida Market. We will start at 10 am at the nw corner of Morse Street NE. If you want to eat Korean Food for breakfast, you are welcome to join us at 9:15 am at K-Youngs restaurant (which also serves American and some Salvadorean food), which is located at 325 Morse Street NE.

Apollo Management to join Sang Choi as lead investor

2007-06-19T04:06:00.000-07:00

So reports yesterday's Examiner, "Capital City Market to be redeveloped by Apollo."

It's a big company, one that doesn't screw around. Here's a biography of the founder, Leon D. Black.

Ward 5 Councilmember to announce major investment in Ward 5 Urban Renewal project

2007-06-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

(I guess we know where CM Thomas stands on the matter)

From email:

Media Advisory: Ward 5 CM Thomas to Announce Major Investment Firm to Back New Town at Capital City Market at 10:00 am, June 19 Press Conference

At 10:00 am on June 19, 2007, Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. will make an announcement relating to the financing and planning of New Town at Capital City Market, a major economic development project proposed for the 24-acre wholesale/ public marketplace located in Northeast D.C. between Florida Avenue, 6th Street, Penn Street, and the railroad tracks.

Specifically, Councilmember Thomas will brief reporters and other interested parties on a newly formed joint venture agreement between Sang Oh Development LLC and a large investment firm to finance and plan the New Town project. Sang Oh Development LLC is a D.C. firm whose president and principal owner is Sang Oh Choi, a Capital City Market property owner and local businessman for more than 20 years.

The New Town plan has been embraced by Mayor Fenty and the D.C. City Council, which unanimously approved the "New Town at Capital City Market Revitalization Development and Public/Private Partnership Act" on December 5, 2006. The permanent legislation,
which became law on March 14, 2007, requires the Fenty Administration and the development team to prepare a "Final Conceptual Plan" and an "Agreement" for City Council review and approval later this year.

As set forth in the New Town law, the 3.4 million square foot development will include one of the city's largest-ever commitments of workforce housing, more than a mile of retail storefronts and restaurants, and amenities such as a YMCA and outdoor amphitheater.

New Town is projected to create more than 2,400 construction jobs with a payroll of $108 million, with job training, hiring, and contracting targeted toward D.C. residents and specifically Ward 5 residents. Project completion will bring thousands of permanent jobs to the area.

Where: John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 123
When: Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 10:00 am

For more information, contact Vicky Leonard-Chambers at 202-727-8204.

Updated Market Guide

2007-05-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

get it here.

Interactive Market

2007-05-25T14:31:00.001-07:00

I found this through a Technorati search:
This guy Josh Williams has an interesting interactive feature (including one video and a couple of audio slide shows) about the Capital City Market.

Florida Avenue Market Study - Third Public Meeting - Weds. May 30

2007-05-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

(Text from the DC Office of Planning, photo from Elise Bernard)

Florida Market Study
Third Public Meeting
Weds. May 30th
3:30 to 5:30 pm AND 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Please come for a presentation on a conceptual plan for the Market, based on research & community input at our first two public meetings. The concepts presented are just the first step, opening further questions to explore. Korean & Mandarin interpretation available at 3:30pm, & sign language interpretation available at
6:00pm.

(The same presentation will be given twice to accommodate a wide array of the public—You may attend either session.)

Gallaudet University, Foster Auditorium, 800 Florida Ave, NE

Next Steps: We will be analyzing the various findings of our study over the summer. Keep an eye out for further public meetings early this fall. In the meantime, please contact us with any thoughts!

Background: The Office of Planning (OP) has initiated a study of the Florida Avenue Market and is engaging property and business owners within the Market, as well as residents, institutions and other stakeholders surrounding the Market. The purpose of the Study is to conduct an existing conditions analysis, an economic analysis of the wholesale and retail market functions, and an operational analysis. Additionally, the Study will provide demand projections for other potential uses on the site, resulting in various redevelopment/revitalization scenarios for consideration.

The Study will also address sustainable development (green technology), urban design, transportation and historic preservation issues. Before any decisions are made regarding the future of this site, it is critical that the District and all affected parties have a full and balanced understanding of the opportunities, constraints and fiscal impacts of redevelopment, and that the public is significantly involved in considering these findings.

The Florida Avenue Market is at a critical juncture of its history. Your participation in the coming months is critical for creating a successful and responsive plan!

For more information or to RSVP, please contact: Deborah Crain, Ward
5 Neighborhood Planner, 202-442-7615 or deborah.crain@ dc.gov ; or
Jeff Davis, Ward 6 Neighborhood Planner, 202-442-7704 or
jeff.davis@dc. gov.

What the Florida Market looked like in 1918

2007-05-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

It was a military encampment called Camp Meigs. This is a panorama photo. Click on it to enlarge. Note College Hall and the buildings on Kendall Green at Gallaudet University on the upper left, and the U.S. Capitol in the distance.

Florida Avenue Market Study First Presentation

2007-05-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

Meeting notices posted in the DC Farmers Market building at the Florida Market.

From Elizabeth Nelson of ANC6A:

A presentation on the Florida Avenue Market Study is now available on the ANC6A homepage. It is a large file and may take a while to open.
--------
I talked to someone the other day about the meetings. He told me that at both sessions, about 2 people spoke in favor of the New Towns proposal.

He said one of the problems is that people in Ward 5 feel that the area is supposed to contribute to the rest of their Ward, yet the closest residential section to the Florida Market is in Ward 6, and that many people from Ward 6 attended the meetings. It creates a sticky political situation though. Councilmembers tend to be territorial.

I also noticed in the Market that there is some advocacy going on...

The petition included a copy of the New Towns proposal.

It could be argued that the language of the New Town proposal misrepresents the planning process that is underway.

Another community meeting scheduled

2007-05-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Deborah Crain, the Neighborhood Planner for Ward 5, told us that there has been another public meeting scheduled for the Florida Market study--current conditions and possible recommendations for going forward.

Date: May 14, 2007
Time: 6 - 8pm
Place: Galludet University, Student Center, 800 Florida Avenue

She said the meetings last week were very well attended, with about 200 people at the first meeting, and 150 people at the second.

In Shaw: Florida Market Meeting

2007-04-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

From the Frozen Tropics blog:

Mari from In Shaw's got a post re: the Florida Market meeting last night. Check out her view, and I'll post something on the topic later. We had a good turnout last night, but there were still lots of empty seats (I attended the second meeting). I think the Office of Planning did a great job of getting the word out. Lots of people stood up to ask questions/give comments. I heard that around 10 people gave comments at the first meeting. It is really terrific that they are doing a study like this.

Farmers Markets and Public Markets: Advancing their role in urban and rural communities

2007-04-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

This sign bids customers farewell at the Sunset Valley Farmers' Market in Austin, Texas.
Photo Credit: Kelly Fuerstenberg. For Grit Magazine.

From Project for Public Spaces:

Fourth Annual Briefing & Reception
Thursday, May 3, 2007
5:00 - 6:00pm Briefing and Q&A
1302 Longworth Building
Reception to follow (ends 7pm), 1300 Longworth Building

INVITED PARTICIPANTS
-Collin Peterson (D-MN)
-Robert Goodlatte (R-VA)
-Joe Baca (D-CA)
-David Scott (D-GA)
-Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
-Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
-Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
-Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
-Bobby Rush (D-IL)

FEATURED SPEAKERS
-Elaine Brown, Executive Director, Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS)
-Fred Broughton, Small Farms Program Manager, South Carolina Department of Agriculture
-Linda Boclair, Operations Manager, Camden Area Health Education Center/Camden Farmers Markets
-Steve Davies, Senior Vice President, Project for Public Spaces
-Kelly Williams, Associate, Project for Public Spaces (MC)
-Tazuer Smith, Washington Representative, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

The benefits of farmers markets and public markets are well known: from providing profitable markets for farmers; to improving consumer access to affordable, locally-grown fruits, vegetables and other farm products; to reinvigorating communities by creating vibrant social and economic centers of activity. However, as the number of markets around the country expands, the needs for planning and coordination, farmer training, and nutrition education for consumers are all too apparent.

Attend the briefing to learn about:
-Farmers markets? success and needs as seen from the final year of PPS's 3-year, $3 million grant program for diversifying farmers markets and public markets;
-How investments in state farmers markets associations are building local food systems and building the capacity of hundreds of farmers markets to improve their markets;
-How farmers markets across the country are working to address health disparities and improving access to fresh, locally grown food in low-income, food insecure communities;
-Opportunities in the upcoming Farm Bill to address the needs of markets, farmers, and consumers.

Taste a sampling of farm fresh foods direct from the Takoma Park Farmers Market in Takoma Park, MD; the Byrd House Market and William Byrd Community House in Richmond, VA; and the California Farmers Market Association in Walnut Creek, CA.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
-Southland Farmers Market Association - Los Angeles, CA
-Community Farm Alliance - KY
-Michigan Farmers Market Association - MI
-NY State Federation of Farmers Markets - NY
-New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association - NM
-South Carolina Direct Marketing Association - SC
-Camden Area Health Education Center - Camden, NJ
-Just Food/Brooklyn?s Bounty - Brooklyn, NY
-Community Farm Connection - Wenatchee, WA

RSVP
Space is limited
Please RSVP with your name, organization, and e-mail (and the same for any guests you may bring) to Ayan Ali at Project for Public Spaces, 212-620-5660 or via e-mail at publicmarkets@pps.org

Public markets and farmers markets are encouraged to contact to visit their congressional representatives prior to the briefing and to bring them to the event.

For more information on visiting your representative, contact Alan Hunt at the Northeast Midwest Institute

SPONSORS
Project for Public Spaces (PPS), with support from the Ford Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Co-sponsored by the Northeast-Midwest Institute, the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the Community Food Security Coalition, and the Farmers Market Coalition

Florida Avenue Market Planning Study

2007-04-14T10:12:00.001-07:00

Mike the owner, restocking at Litteri's, Florida Market District, DC. Photo by Ken Firestone.

As part of the Florida Market redevelopment legislation, the City Council funded a "small area planning process" for the area, to help mediate the various proposals.

Here is the public meeting schedule

First Public Meeting
Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Overview
3:30-5:30 pm -- for Market stakeholders, vendors, etc., especially, but the content at the two meetings is the same.
6:00-8:00 pm -- open to all

The Office of Planning invites property and business owners within the Florida Avenue Market and neighborhood residents and stakeholders around the Market area to help us create development recommendations for this site.

Our goal is to produce recommendations for:
• Urban Design/Public Realm
• Uses
• Parking
• Greening
• Historic Preservation.

2nd Public Meeting
Wednesday May 30th, 2007
Highlights of Possible Redevelopment Session
3:30-5:30 pm
6:00-8:00 pm

Both public meetings will be held at:

Gallaudet University
Foster Auditorium in the Student Academic Center
800 Florida Avenue (enter at 8th Street NE)

Contact: Deborah Crain or Jeff Davis at the Office of Planning, 442-7600

That's Pretty Much the Problem

2007-04-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Bye bye US Beef building, hello 11 story thingy
A sign recently went up on the former site of the US Beef Building. So, I'm talking about Florida Avenue right across from the impossible to miss Two Rivers Charter School. So, if you are walking from the NY Ave metro stop, this is how you would enter the Market. The sign which advertises for the Gateway Market Residences, brought to you by Sang Oh [Choi!] Development. Mr. Choi is, of course, the man (or men, since John Ray is involved) with the vision behind New Town at the Capital City Market. Also, on the sign were a phone number & a website (both of which I wrote down, but do not have in front of me). There was also a hookline: "Pretty soon you won't recognize the place. Promise."

*************************
UPDATE
*************************

Here is the website: www.GatewayMarketandResidences.com
202-265-2464
Sang Oh Development, LLC

Here is a map of the Market that you can compare to the map on Choi's website.

Florida Market vs Italian Market

2007-03-15T08:18:00.001-07:00

The top two photos are of the Florida Market. There places that do on street sales (e.g. Mexican Fruit), but I don't have any photos of these handy (they were on my old harddrive).
but here is a photo from Ken Firestone of Mexican Fruit's offerings:

And here is one of Richard Layman's photos from the Italian Market:

and here is one of my photos of the DC Farmers Market:

Immediately above is a photo of Philadelphia's Italian Market (photo protected under creative commons) from someone else (many are all rights reserved, so you can look, but you can't touch).
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=295306507&size=m ( Jian Ailin 简爱霖) provides the photo immediately above. I don't know, but it looks pretty close to me. For more photos search flickr (free account & no junk email guys) for Italian Market Philadelphia. I suggest looking at the original (larger image) of the photo immediately above to see a building that looks much more like the Florida Market buildings than what you see in the forefront.

Philadephia's Italian Market

2007-03-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Caribbean Crescent (which actually sells Indian food) offers all kinds of dalls.
Ok, if you are a regular reader of Frozen Tropics you probably know that I love to compare the Florida Market (i.e. the Capital City Market) to Philadelphia's Italian Market. So, here we go again. Check out the Wikipedia entry for the Italian Market. I suggest paying particular attention to the "Visiting the Italian Market" section. They aren't kidding. The Italian Market is a serious tourist attraction, but it is also a fully functional market that serves both businesses and residents. It's not just the impossible dream, it does actually happen, and it could happen here too.

Meats

2007-03-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

In the farmers market area.

Other markets

2007-02-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I was in Philadelphia at the Italian Market and Reading Terminal Market. A few months back, RTM began having open hours on Sundays.

While I have uploaded photos for the Italian Market (click here) I haven't done that for the RTM yet, except for a couple, such as this one.

Markets need comfort stations! (I took this photo to make a point, not because I am a voyeur.)

I love the prices at the Italian Market...

Good story about the LA Farmers Market

2007-02-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

Is, "Cornering the market," from the LA Times. The webstory has photos too. (Access to the article might require registration.)

This market is:

-- open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday - Saturday
-- has good restaurants
-- including one open 24 hours!

Talk about building "top of mind" awareness.

Market tour 4/21

2007-02-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

We will be conducting a tour of the Florida Market on Saturday 4/21 as part of Cultural Tourism DC's Walking Town program.

Maybe as a dry run, we'll schedule one for 4/14 too. (Both Elise and I are very busy though.)

Small Area Planning Process for the Florida Market area

2007-02-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

I don't know the status exactly, but last night we learned that the DC Office of Planning has contracted with CORE to conduct a small area planning process for the Florida Market area. Such an action was required as part of the execrable law passed last December about this area.

The law set a time period ending somewhere in September I think, requiring that all the stakeholders come back with a mutually acceptable plan to go forward.

(As well as 50% of the property owners to agree.)

See:
-- The Florida Market bill before City Council

Current Newspapers story about Florida Market by Kevin West

2007-01-23T06:41:00.000-08:00

Kevin West, blogmaster of A Portable Snack, writes:

My wife and I go to the Capital City Market all the time. The new blog is terrific! I recently wrote a piece for the Current Newspapers (Georgetown Current, Dupont Current, etc.) about the Capital City Market. Unfortunately, they don't have an online edition, so it's not posted anywhere, but I've attached it for you to do with as you please.

I also blogged about the market on my blog, "New Town/Capital City Market Redevelopment."

Current Newspaper article (at 3/4 size, eventually I'll scan the article at full-size), from 12/13/2006:

Page 1

Page 2

Philly's Italian Market

2007-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

Want to see a video about a similar market in Philadelphia? Yes, the Italian Market has more to offer in terms of restaurants, coffee shops, and overall consumer friendliness, but the Capital City Market has potential to become something similar. Personally, I'd like to see more of the places sell retail, as well as wholesale. I'd also like to see better signs indicating which places do sell retail (because many currently do, but the only way you know which ones is to go with someone who already knows).

Young's Deli

2006-12-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

Now known as K-Young's (Korean) Deli. 325 Morse St. NE.

What's In the Market?

2006-12-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

Many things. Here is a bit of information (this is a reworking of a post that originally appeared in the blog Frozen Tropics). This is really just a slightly reworked (and shortened) version of the handout from the market tour. *Except as noted, all photos by Elise Bernard. Text by Elise Bernard and Richard Layman

About the Market
The Capital City Market, also known as the Florida Market, (and once known as the Union Market) is DC's own wholesale food district. One of the things that makes this area unique is is its almost
exclusive dedication to the business of selling goods wholesale for restaurants & small food stores.Many of the buildings in the market were constructed in the 1920s, but they were not always part of the market.

Originally the area was used by Sidney Hechinger for his building deconstruction and materials sales business. When the Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis Interurban railroad closed in the late 1920s, Hechinger moved his business to that location (which is home to Hechinger Mall today). 1931 brought the demolition of the Central Market (a photo of the Central Market can be seen here courtesy of Victorian Secrets) to clean space for the National Archives. For a time food marketing activities were also centered around 5^th and K Streets NW, in a public market and other buildings (images also available at the link above). Of course, the rise of supermarkets also impacted the distribution of food at the retail level.

Some parts of the market are more recent construction (such those as the portion housing MS3000 [formerly Kang's Farm] & Sam Wang's, which was built in 1986 under the Barry administration). Many of these establishments are family owned & primarily serve small businesses in the city, although the convenience and critical mass of businesses attracts people from Virginia and Maryland as well. As the ethnic make up of the city has shifted over the decades, so has the store ownership changed (though this is not necessarily the case for landownership), where Greeks, Jewish, and Italians once dominated, Koreans, Latinos, Africans, and African-Americans now constitute the majority of the vendors and shop owners.

Though DC once had other market areas like this one, few are in existence today. Eastern Market is one of the few survivors. Sadly, Eastern Market recently suffered a tragic fire and some of its vendors have been temporarily displaced. Many people do not know that there was a plan calling for the demolition of Eastern Market in the 1960s. Thankfully, the neighborhood rallied around Eastern Market and it survived as the shopping destination many of us know and love today. We hope that the Capital City Market will also survive for future generations.

---the following section is somewhat in flux, so an update appears immediately below---

The construction of the New York Avenue metro station, contributed to a massive increase in developer interest in the surrounding area, and many people have begun to raise questions about the Market's future. One proposal, New Town at the Capital City Market, has garnered the most attention. This is due in no small part to the fact that John Ray is acting as its spokesman and former Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange was a strong supporter (see, among other stories the Washington Post story A Developer Peddles A New Vision for An Old Market, DC North’s Is New Town the End of the Florida Market?, and the Examiner’s There’s a Stench at the Florida Avenue Market).

New Town is the brainchild of Sang Oh Choi of Sang Oh Development, LLC, who owns some land (and a business) in the market. His vision for the area involves a significant changes in the predominate use and character of the area. It calls for a complete redevelopment that would include the addition of housing (not allowed under the Market's current commercial / light industrial zoning) office buildings, a YMCA, an amphitheater, and various other things (a movie theater and a bowling alley have also been mentioned). Sang Oh Choi has stated that he does not wish to displace the existing vendors, but rather to incorporate the market into his overall plan. Two other members of Mr. Choi's family also own significant sections of the market, but they are not proponents of the New Town plan.

In total, there are nearly 70 individual landowners in the Market and a provision recently inserted into the New Town Bill (which goes before the Council again in May) requires the developers to obtain consent from owners of 51% of the land before they can use eminent domain to seize all of the land in the Market.

Among other things, we are concerned that this plan would likely result in the ultimate death of the market because (1) the new construction would lead to higher rents, and (2) it can be difficult to successfully integrate housing into an industrial setting like this (many of the businesses start up around 2-3am).

Other visions for the area have focused on highlighting the existing market & creating development that builds on the unique strengths off the area (the introduction of restaurants & a small culinary school). Recently one of the older buildings here, the U.S. Beef building (located at 4th & Morse), was demolished (pursuant to a request for proposals -"RFP" issued a few years back). My Choi plans to erect an 11 story mixed-use building on the site. Read about the building, the Gateway Market and Residences, here: http://www.gatewaymarketandresidences.com/.

UPDATE
It is now unclear exactly what will happen to the Market. The New Town camp got backing from Apollo Real Estate Advisors. This was big news, but they haven't managed to get the requisite amount of land. Some parties have expressed the opinion that the New Town legislation is now completely dead. Another developer, J Street Developers, has purchased a significant amount of land in and around the market and they want to play some sort or role here. Interestingly J Street purchased the DC Farmers Market building from Sang Oh Choi's brother, who was an outspoken critic of the New Town plan. The Office of Planning small area plan appears to be somewhat delayed. I've heard the delay stems from a funding problem. Meanwhile, another large landowner, Gallaudet University, is meeting with developers, but not exhibiting a real interest in selling its land. Instead, it appears that Gallaudet may wish to develop its own parcels. Mr. Choi's building on the US Beef parcel is on hold until the small area plan is completed. Change is coming to the Market, but what form that change will take is still unclear.

Stops on the Tour
One of the big things in urban design is called “legibility” or understanding what you see. The Florida Market isn’t as legible as a typical shopping center. So it helps to have an introduction. Most places don’t have prices marked, but the prices tend to be pretty good. Just like at a grocery store, if you are buying produce, each type goes into a separate bag. Some of the places, like Sam Wang’s, have separate counters for retail and wholesale sales. Many places are wholesale only and we don’t include them on the tour. Cash is preferred although some places take credit cards.Restrooms are available in the DC Farmers Market building * -- but not elsewhere. Some of the stores like Sam Wang’s or MS3000 open in the very early hours of the day (say 4 a.m. or earlier) and close by 4 pm in the afternoon. Others don’t open that early but still aren’t open much later than that. It’s better to buy fresh foods earlier in the week, because they tend to not get new shipments later in the week. And Saturday is an easy day to go there, but the lines can be long.GO EARLY.

This is a large market. We've tried to assemble a short list of place that sell to the public and are likely to appeal to retail customers. After you have visited the places below you'll have a good grounding in the area and be ready to explore a bit more on your own.

K-Young's Deli & Carryout (formerly Young's Deli)
325 Morse St. NE 202-543-1417 M-Sat 5:30am-4pm
Korean, Salvadorian, & America food

Obeng International
300 block of Morse St. NE 202-544-8255 M-Sat 7am-4pm
West African food galore. Here you can purchase a variety of spices and staples, or you might prefer to visit the butcher counter, where meats are custom cut.

Premium Seafood
300 Morse St. NE, Suite R 202-543-8881 M-Sat
Asian foods, fish and seafood

Sam Wang's
300 block of Morse St. NE 202-544-5163 M-Sat 6am-3pm
A market selling a variety of fresh vegetables & fruits (including many more "exotic" items).

Don Pepe’s Cash and Carry
300 Morse Street NE, 202-544-2633 M-Saturday
Latin American butcher shop and canned goods, spices and hot sauces.

U.S. Beef
300 block of Morse St. NE 202-543-8320 M-Sat-6am-4pm
A variety of unusual cuts of meat are available. Also sells chicken, fish & pickled vegetables. The meat room is particularly interesting and they have a massive room for butchering.

MS3000 (formerly Kang's Farm)
350 Morse St. NE 202-546-1911 M-Sat 5:30am-4pm
The closest the market comes to a general grocery store. Kang's offers a variety of fruits & vegetables, but you can also get small or large quantities of spices or staples such as brown rice. Kang's also boasts the fish room which offers a variety of seafood, including live crab. Unfortunately, because most of the market is not open on Sundays, Kang's does not get fresh shipments of fish on Saturdays. Customers seeking to purchase fish/seafood are advised to do so earlier in the week, rather than on a Saturday.

Eastern Supply
1250 4th Street NE (enter off Morse Street) M-Sat
Kitchen, catering and restaurant supplies

La Villa Distributors
1265 4th Street NE 202-543-9677 M-Sat
Mexican-Hispanic Foods

Eastern Seafood
407 Morse St. NE. 202-543-5600
A good source for winter (cabbage) kimchee and noodles.

Best Equipment
413 Morse St NE. 202-544-2525 M-F 8:30-4pm Sat 8:30-3:30
Anything and everything for the commercial kitchen (& at prices you won't believe)

Caribbean Crescent
1280 5th Street NE 202-547-3101 M-F 6:30-4:30 Sat 7am-5pm (open for retail 3 days a week, I believe they are Mon, Wed [maybe] and Sat)
Despite the name this place sells mostly Indian & Middle Eastern foods. You can find a variety of lentils, curries, and some flat bread to go with them. They do Halal butchering.

Photo by Ken Firestone (all rights reserved)
Mexican Fruit
1309 5th Street NE 202-431-1644 M-Sat 6am-5pm
An outdoor fruit stand. Bins of fruits & vegetables await you outside this storefront. In the spring and summer they may also sell live plants.

Far East Noodles
1325 5th Street NE (behind the DC Farmers Market building)
202-546-8033 M-Sat 7 am – 4 pm
Chinese noodles and pot stickers

All African
A Pan-African food selection. They butcher smoked goat on the premises.

DC Farmers Market
T-TH 7am-5:30pm, F & Sat 7am-6:30pm, Sun 7am-2pm
An indoor market packed with vendors selling mostly food, but there are a few who deal in sunglasses, cds, or other goods. The various vendors offer all kinds of meats, fowl, fish & fruits & vegetables. The meat selections extend far beyond what you'll find at Safeway of Giant, and you will not find grocery store prices here.

Friends at the Market(flea market)
Featuring its own dj, this market offers all the fun of a typical swap meet. You never know what you'll find. A variety of old tools (both electric & manual) can be found here.

Photo by Ken Firestone, all rights reserved
Litteri's
519 Morse St. NE, 202-544-0184 Tues–Sat
Everything Italian is at your disposal. An excellent deli counter completes this little shop that holds much more than you would believe from the outside. Wines, cheeses, sausages, pastas &; more are on offer. Litteri's also makes some of the best sandwiches in town. Pre-packaged (but fresh) sandwiches are available by the register, or get it made to order at the deli counter.

Please also check out Josh William's small, but still rockin' interactive siteabout the Market.