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Market House prepares for several new vendors

Flower shop, deli sign temporary leases

By RYAN JUSTIN FOX Staff Writer

Published 07/08/09

City work crews yesterday began removing temporary partitions as they prepare the troubled Market House for new tenants for the first time in nearly four years.

J. Henson - The Capital
City work crews Tuesday began removing temporary partitions as they prepare the troubled Market House for new tenants for the first time in nearly four years.

SLIDESHOW

Annapolis Market House

The Market House, One of Annapolis' signature locations, now sits nearly empty

Several businesses have signed leases to operate in the historic downtown building at least through the summer.

"We read about the charrette (the city held for the Market House) and figured it would be a good opportunity," said Joel Scharfer, business manager for Flowers by Donna on Maryland Avenue.

The floral shop signed a six-month lease with the city late last week and should move into Market House next week.

Baltimore-based Atwater's - known for making breads, soups and pastries from scratch using locally grown, organic ingredients - also is opening a temporary location at Market House this summer. Meanwhile, deals with two local art companies and a produce shop are expected to be finalized by the end of this week, city officials said.

In May, the city paid $2.5 million to a private real estate firm it had hired to manage Market House, so it could take back exclusive control of the building at City Dock.

The city owned and managed the market for nearly 150 years before hiring Silver Spring-based Site Realty following renovations in 2005. A county judge agreed to void the lease the city signed with Market House Ventures, a subsidiary of Site Realty, just three years into the agreement. It was a rare use of the city's power of eminent domain.

A malfunctioning heating-and-cooling system for the building forced nearly all of the vendors at Market House to abandon their stalls and led to a messy three-way lawsuit involving the city, six former vendors and Site Realty.

Only Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop and BankAnnapolis stayed in Market House throughout the legal battle.

The high-profile situation drew concerns and complaints from residents and business owners. In May, nearly 100 community and business leaders shared ideas and visions for the site's future during a professionally facilitated community charrette organized by Mayor Ellen O. Moyer at City Hall.

The way Market House is used has been a hot-button issue in Annapolis for decades.

Elected city officials mandated in the lease with Site Realty that Market House have a variety of businesses catering to tourists as well as locals. Still, many complained that Market House under Site Realty too much resembled a mall food court.

The latest turn in the building's history is, for now, a temporary one. The leases signed by Atwaters and Flowers by Donna are for only six months. City officials said it is important to get occupants for Market House through the busy summer tourist season, not to mention the annual boat shows in the fall.

They said they then plan to renovate the building to be ready for long-term use by about January.

City officials said they are using the feedback received at the charrette - a collaborative session in which a group endeavors to draft a solution to a problem - to plan the Market House's future. But deciding that future will likely be a job left to the new mayor and City Council when the newly elected officials take office in December.

Atwater's at the Belvedere Market in northeast Baltimore has drawn rave reviews from local food critics. The deli features an award-winning menu, according to local news reports.

Owner Ned Atwater could not be reached for comment.

"We're happy to see Atwater's in there with us," Scharfer said.

Scharfer said Flowers by Donna, which opened three years ago, will sell some of its floral arrangements and Yankee candles at its new second location. The managers of the floral shop said they hope to draw some business from foot traffic and increase Flowers by Donna's visibility with its Market House stall.

Vendors are paying rents based on a percentage of their sales, city Central Services Director Rob Schuetz said Monday.

The city also is charging the short-term vendors a $1.60 per-square-foot monthly maintenance fee.

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Comment removed by HometownAnnapolis staff. - 2009-07-09 01:15:49

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- Karma: Neutral

I agree - 2009-07-08 17:06:43

Turnout is abysmal and we (voters) can only blame ourselves when our Mayor wins with about 3000 votes.
But as to the last 4 years, well, let's just say that Hoover had the naming rights to City Hall.
I think that the last 8 years have opened many eyes. There is a petition to get a City Manager in place--imagine that, trained competent management in charge of a city! What a concept. And there have been many more voices (both pro and con) speaking out over the past 4 years.
Really a non-issue, but if the Mayor is so adored and supported, why was she hiding behind tinted glass at the parade last weekend?

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John F. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Good

RE: Eminent Domain - 2009-07-08 13:24:19

John F.,
The Mayor and the city officials do not act in a vacuum. The residents of Annapolis voted this mayor into office twice and appear to support just about everything Mayor Moyer and the others have done. If there are people that object to how Annapolis is run I would love to see them speak up at council meetings, write or call officials and perhaps go to the polls to vote when I vote (my primary residence is Annapolis). Voter turnout in this community is abysmal. If you do not participate in your government and speak out, you have no other choice than to remain content with the actions they take; good or bad. That's how democracy works.

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T. Williams - Virginia Beach, VA - Karma: Neutral

Eminent Domain? - 2009-07-08 12:05:49

Why does the Capital keep saying the City took it back using eminent domain? This thing was settled before that wacky idea ever came to fruition.
Yes, the city said they would try to use it; but many legal experts said there was not a chance. But ultimately, the settled the case and ended up paying $2.5 million for a building they had owned for over 150 years.
Which brings the question up AGAIN, if our current administration was able to undo 150 years of history and incur a $2.5 million cost in 8 years....why are we allowing them to be involved yet again? Do we ever learn?

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John F. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Good