7 Years Later: Where is Our 10,000 sq ft, 365 Day, Regionally Sourced, Fresh-Market?

 “I am pleased to join Speaker Quinn to announce the return of locally-sourced, regional markets at the South Street Seaport,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “Markets of this kind have a historic presence in lower Manhattan, and I am proud that were able to reincorporate this use into the wider redevelopment of the Seaport. The start date of construction on the Pier 17 project will be postponed to allow current tenants to remain open throughout this summer. This is the right thing to do. It will allow small businesses to make back the revenue they lost as a result of hurricane Sandy and take advantage of the many exciting events at the Seaport this summer. I want to thank Speaker Quinn for her support on this project and for fighting to make sure the needs of the lower Manhattan community were fully addressed in this redevelopment.” 

  “We will soon be home to tens of thousands of square feet of indoor space specifically for local, regionally-sourced food,” Quinn said at a press conference in City Hall. “Now, New York City will no longer be one of the only major cities in the country without a destination market.” 

 “We held a five-hour public hearing at which we heard from hundreds of citizens who wanted a food market; thanks to this deal, they’ll be guaranteed one,” said Mark S. Weprin, Chair of the Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. 

 “Congratulations to Speaker Quinn and Council Member Chin, for this is news that will be well received by food enthusiasts around the city,” said Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern. “What’s at stake is the city’s ability to add one more incredible destination for visitors from around the world. Like every great city, New York City should have a destination that celebrates our regional food, a place where people can come together to meet the people who grow their food, a place that acts as a springboard for satisfying the city’s curiosity about this old but newfound love of eating locally.” 

 “A city as great as NYC should have a public market,” said Marcel Van Ooyen, GrowNYC Executive Director. “I applaud Speaker Quinn, Council member Chin and Howard Hughes for the progress made here to bring a year round, seven day a week public food market to New York City, and I look forward to working with all the stakeholders to create additional outlets for our farmers to sell their products.” 

“For 400 years, Lower Manhattan has been a center of commerce, trade, innovation and a home to bustling marketplaces,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, President of the Downtown Alliance, the organization which manages the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District. “With today’s South Street Seaport agreement, we add another page to that history. Lower Manhattan’s 60,000 residents, 310,000 workers and 11.5 million annual tourists will be able to shop, dine and buy locally-sourced food in one of New York City’s oldest ports and most iconic neighborhoods. Thank you to Speaker Quinn and our local Council Member Margaret Chin for their steadfast leadership on this important Lower Manhattan redevelopment project.” 

 “This market is a great step forward for the city and local food producers, and I applaud Speaker Quinn and Council Member Chin for their efforts to make this a reality,” said Jessamyn W. Rodriguez, Founder and CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen. “Having a daily market will provide tremendous opportunity to Hot Bread Kitchen and its incubator members, and other food manufacturers throughout the city.” 

 “Bringing a regional food market to the South Street Seaport will further cement New York City’s future as a hub of great restaurants, food retail, and food manufacturing,” Rocco Dispirito, Chef and Restaurateur. “I commend Speaker Quinn and Council Member Chin for their work on this project.” 

 “Project for Public Spaces is thrilled to see the continuity and celebration of the public market legacy in Lower Manhattan, an area that literally grew from the roots of these historic markets,” said David O’Neil, Project for Public Spaces Senior Director of Public Markets.” 

 “For a long time, Community Board 1 has fought for the inclusion of a public market in the historic Tin Building,” said Catherine McVay-Hughes, Community Board 1 Chair. “This is a game changer at this critical time for the businesses and residents located at the historic Seaport area. These commitments will ensure vibrancy during the construction period of the new Pier 17 and the rebuilding of wider Seaport. It will be wonderful to have a local and regionally sourced market open seven days a week, all year long.”