It's been apparent for some time that Baltimore's famous Lexington Market is in need of serious upgrades to its physical plant as well as to the number and types of vendors doing business there. During its heyday in the 1940s and '50s, the market, which boasts of being the oldest continuously operating public market in the nation, was a destination for Baltimoreans from all walks of life, who delighted in its piquant flavor as a historical landmark as much as in its offerings of fresh produce, meats and other delicacies.
But in the decades that followed the market and the area around it declined, leaving this once beloved institution on the west side of downtown a mere shadow of its former self. Fear of crime discouraged suburban shoppers and out-of-town visitors, and with a few exceptions the great variety of vendors who formerly sold their wares on the site shrank into a formulaic array of fast food eateries catering to the lunch-time crowd. The change in the market's fortunes seemed to reflect not only the loss of a vibrant chapter of Baltimore history but a piece of the city's soul as well.
That's why the announcement this month that the city will buy the last remaining part of the market it doesn't currently own is a welcome development. City ownership of the entire complex won't result in any immediate change to the facility, which has functioned as a public market for years. But it will clear the way for the city to begin a more dramatic makeover of the site aimed at attracting a more diverse group of vendors appealing to a broader clientele than the market now enjoys.
The city is working with a consultant firm, Market Ventures Inc., based in Portland, Me., that is advising it on long-term strategies for the market's redevelopment. Market Ventures President Ted Spitzer says he envisions a transformation of the facility based on the model of the Reading Terminal market in Philadelphia. Now one of the most successful public markets in the country, Reading Terminal experienced a decline in fortunes similar to Lexington Market's during the 1980s and '90s until a substantial financial investment by city government there succeeded in turning the site around. Today the facility serves a wide spectrum of visitors with a mix of high-quality prepared foods, specialty shops and locally grown products.
For that to happen here will require the city to make a similarly substantial investment in Lexington Market's physical infrastructure. The East Market is of relatively recent construction, but it is already worn and inefficient to operate; it also needs major structural upgrades along with better fire safety, lighting and mechanical systems, some of which date back to the 1950s. Last year, market officials unveiled a proposal to raise up to $25 million for such improvements, which is on a par with the $30 million investment Philadelphia made in its Reading Terminal.
That work will be carried out in stages with the goal of creating a dramatic difference in how the market looks and feels to visitors. But broadening the market's client base will also require addressing the problems of crime, drug sales and homelessness in the surrounding area so that visitors feel safe coming there. For the market to become a truly vibrant downtown commercial hub city planners will have to re-balance the mix that that made middle- and working-class people love the market in the past — the diversity of vendors selling staples, locally and specialty foods, the memories of a stimulating shopping experience — as well as maintain the brand loyalty of its predominantly low-income clientele today.
A refurbished Lexington Market that attracts new visitors to the west side of downtown will have a domino effect on the area's economy, stimulating further residential and business redevelopment, and moving the city that much closer to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's goal of growing the city's population by 10,000 new families over the next decade. None of the changes envisioned for the market are likely to happen overnight. But the example of Philadelphia and other cities shows it can be done and what happens when a city commits to reclaiming a historic institution dear to its residents' hearts.