Indoor farmers market considered for downtown Lancaster

LANCASTER – An effort to find a location for an indoor farmers market in Lancaster, though still in its early stage, got a boost this week when it was mentioned during the state of the city address.

The idea for an indoor farmers market in downtown Lancaster was originally developed in 2011 as part of the Fairfield County Regional Planning Committee's Fairfield Growing Plan, Regional Planning Director Holly Mattei said.

The purpose of the plan is to promote sustainable economic development growth that will improve the availability of local foods in the county.

"The goal is to get the production people, farmers, and consumers located together," Mattei said.

David Scheffler, executive director of Destination Downtown Lancaster and Lancaster's Special Improvement District, announced this week during the annual State of the City address that a committee is looking at creating a North Market-style indoor farmers market that would be open all year round.

The North Market is in Columbus and has about three dozen merchants operating in it year-round.

While everyone working with the project is saying it is very preliminary and nothing has been developed, Mattei, Scheffler and Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce Board President Travis Markwood said they are looking at various locations, including the building on the northeastern corner of Columbus and West Chestnut streets.

"We've really just started the process," Markwood said.

Mattei said the 2011 plan and a followup study included three designs for an indoor market.

"One would be located at a corner, another in the middle of a block, and the third design was if you started on an empty lot," Mattei said.

Scheffler said the group did a walkthrough of the building and found the first floor in pretty good condition, but the second floor would need some work.

Markwood said a market location also would need to be able to hold a commercial kitchen, along with room for the local merchants.

Mattei said they want to put the indoor market in a building located in the Central Business District, though it doesn't necessarily have to go there.

"It would need to meet the needs of the merchants who would be there," Matteii said.

A copy of the Fairfield Growing plan is at Fairfield County Regional Planning's website, www.co.fairfield.oh.us.

"It's something we are exploring and would like to see in the future," Scheffler said.

cburnett@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4346

Twitter: @CarlBurnettJr

Learn More

To view the full plan, go to www.co.fairfield.oh.us/rpc/images/Fairfield_Full_Plan_082411.pdf.