Another Baltimore public market is headed for a facelift.
A few months after ringing the opening bell at the rebuilt Lexington Market, the Baltimore Public Markets Corp. is breaking ground on a new revitalization effort.
A $2.1 million project to redevelop Hollins Market kicked off Monday, Baltimore Public Markets announced. The quasi-public organization manages the city’s public markets, a list that also includes Avenue Market, Broadway Market, Cross Street Market and Northeast Market.
The renovation work, designed by architecture firm Twopoint Studio and interior designers Reidy Creative and Savoy/Brown Consultants, will involve an update of systems and modernization of physical facilities at Hollins Market. The project also will allow “for a more efficient use of space and utilities,” Baltimore Public Markets said in a news release.
The historic Sowebo market, founded in 1836, will be closed during construction. The project is slated to be finished in November.
In the meantime, officials are looking for merchants to operate seven new stalls that will be available once the market reopens. They’re hoping to add a bakery, a deli and salad stand, a grocer, a poultry stall, a seafood booth and an international prepared foods vendor. There also will be a pop-up stall, sponsored by the West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation, that will be open to food start-ups looking to test-drive a concept.
Funding for the revitalization effort comes from the state of Maryland, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant and the West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation.
Upgrades to Hollins Market have been discussed for years. War Horse Cities, the development firm owned by Scott Plank, had previously planned to redevelop the market, but that project crumbled.
The revitalization work is the latest for the city’s public markets. In addition to the $45 million Lexington Market redevelopment, Broadway Market and Cross Street Market also have seen major upgrades in recent years.
