Opportunity in adversity #2 -- Eastern Market, DC

Through the window, the roof is visible, Eastern Market (DC), south facade.

Steve Pinkus (and others) suggest using the Eastern Market Metro Plaza as a place for food vendors to relocate during the rebuilding process. Apparently, Dan Tangherlini, a Capitol Hill resident and the City Administrator, has suggested this as well.

I think it's also worth revisiting the streetscape improvements to 7th Street. How about Belgian Block to slow traffic down, and to complement the fine masonry of the Market.

Oh, and why not close 7th Street to automobile traffic, at least on Saturday and Sunday, just like the area around the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

As Will Fleishell commented in email, Adolf Cluss over-engineered the walls. Yesterday, that paid off. The walls seemingly are little damaged. And as he points out, the roof is erzatz. The interior can be rebuilt. Same with the roof. And fortunately, monies budgeted for some major renovations were about to be, but hadn't been expended.

There are a number of groups gearing up to raise money and advocate for the market. I'll research a bit before reporting on those efforts.

Roof damage, wisps of smoke, western (rear) facade, Eastern Market DC

It's gonna be awhile before I get around to uploading most of my recent photos, including of the Market, post-fire. The Washington Post has a number of photos of the fire in progress. So does the DCFD website. See "2 Fires Ravage Eastern Market, Georgetown Library in 12 Hours." This story links to related coverage.

There is a nice Washington Post online conversation with Michael Berman, an artist exhibitor at the market, as well as director of communications for the Flea Market, and Stephanie Deutsch of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. Both are Capitol Hill residents. See "Eastern Market: Aftermath," subtitled "Fenty Pledges Funds for Eastern Market Restoration."

And this article from the Washington Business Journal, "Eastern Market businesses hope for the best, brace for the worst," says:

Vendors expressed frustration with what they called a lack of communication by the market's managers following the fire. City Administrator Dan Tangherlini says if the management company doesn't address the situation to the satisfaction of District officials and the merchants, D.C.'s Office of Property Management will step up.

If the building is fixed quickly, "we'll be OK," says Lynne Holland, who has been selling her folk art in the outside portion of the market for 28 years. But if it is going to take "years and years ... forget about it."

D.C. officials, adamant in keeping the market's streak of continuous operation intact, say the outdoor farmer's market will be open this coming weekend.

Ideas being floated around to house displaced vendors include using the nearby Eastern Market Metro Plaza, which the District also owns, or possibly blocking off Seventh Street, though Wells says other Capitol Hill employers must be included in such discussions before decisions are made.

There's some other somewhat boneheaded coverage too, such as the column by Harry Jaffe in the Examiner, "Eastern Market burns, part of District dies." Yes, it is terrible that it happened, no the community isn't dead. San Francisco, Chicago, and Baltimore managed to rebuild after fires. Eastern Market's interior and roof can be rebuilt. The building is well-documented.

Noted community historians Kathy Smith and Nancy Metzger survey the damage and consider the future of Eastern Market in Washington, DC.