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Preserving the Midtown Farmers Market
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Quick links
- Resources for advocates, designers, and public officials click here
- MFM Project Program Brief PDF file
Redevelopment News
- 11/10/11 CNO letter of support PDF file
- Finance and Commerce "L&H Station plan adds more housing, trims office space" 11/9/11 link
- Minnesota Public Radio "Developers seek local approval for project in Corcoran neighborhood" story by Rupa Shenoy 11/3/11 Text link
- "Developer will pitch Revised Plan for 2225 East Lake Street," CNO Advocate 11/3/11 link
- Minnesota Public Radio "School district aims to preserve farmers market on for-sale land" story by Rupa Shenoy 9/2/10 Audio and text link
Market News
Project History and Summary
Since 2003, the Midtown Farmers Market (MFM) has connected locally produced food and goods with 40,000 customers per season at 2225 East Lake Street on a surface parking lot owned by Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). The Midtown Farmers Market was conceived by local residents and is operated by the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization (CNO). The MFM currently operates one day a week from May to June, and two days a week from June through October.
 The Midtown Farmers Market is one of 5,000 urban farmers markets currently operating in city neighborhoods and towns across the country. Farmers markets function as a vital economic and social link between urban families and the farmers and craftspeople of the surrounding agricultural region. Accordingly, the Midtown Farmers Market was a keystone element of the Corcoran Midtown Revival Plan (Plan), which calls for a mix of housing, retail/office, structured/underground parking, and public open space. This citizen generated Plan was adopted by the City Council as part of the Minneapolis Plan in 2002.
Given development pressures and the pending sale of the 6-1/2 acre site by the school district, residents look forward to the opportunity to realize the Plan and create a permanent home for the Midtown Farmers Market at 2225 East Lake on a public square, plaza, or mall shared within a larger mixed-use, transit oriented development adjacent to the Lake Street LRT station, with nearby connections to the Midtown Greenway bikeway, bus transit, and a proposed Midtown Greenway trolley line. To remain successful, the Midtown Farmers Market needs a permanent, no-cost lease agreement and assurance of uninterrupted operation during construction.
Resources for advocates, designers, and public officials
- 11/10/11 CNO letter of support PDF file
- CURA report Sept. 2010: Assessing Public Parking Demand at Southwest Lake and Hiawatha PDF file
- Minneapolis school district issues Request for Proposals (RFP) link
- MFM Project Program Brief PDF file
- CNO Sustainability Statement and Performance Goals PDF file
- 5/17/10 CNO letter to MPS PDF file
- 1/8/10 Council Member Gary Schiff & CNO letter to MPS PDF file
- CURA report June 2009: Envisioning a Permanent Home for the Midtown Farmers Market PDF file
- 2009 MN Senate Bonding tour package PDF file
- Map of vendors by MN Senate district PDF file
- Map of vendors by MN House district PDF file
- Map of vendors by MN County PDF file
- 8/27/09 Senator Patricia Torres Ray letter to MPS PDF file
- 2/5/09 CNO letter to lawmakers PDF file
- Corcoran Midtown Revival Plan link to City of Minneapolis webpage
- Minnehaha-Hiawatha Community Works Strategic Development Framework webpage
- Project for Public Spaces has experts available to assist with design of public spaces, particularly spaces for farmers markets. website
- Farmers Market Coalition provides additional resources related to farmers market design, function, and tangible and intangible community benefits. website
- Larry Lev, faculty at Oregon State University, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics, provides resources similar to the FMC; has partnered with the MN Institute for Sustainable Agriculture to study Twin Cities farmers markets. contact info
Press
- Finance and Commerce "L&H Station plan adds more housing, trims office space" 11/9/11 link
- Minnesota Public Radio "Developers seek local approval for project in Corcoran neighborhood" story by Rupa Shenoy 11/3/11 Text link
- "Developer will pitch Revised Plan for 2225 East Lake Street," CNO Advocate 11/3/11 link
- Finance and Commerce "Partners pitch $80 million project at Lake/Hiawatha," article by Burl Gilyard 11/2/10 link
- "Report examines parking, redevelopment at Lake and Hiawatha" CNO Advocate 9/27/10 link
- Minnesota Public Radio "School district aims to preserve farmers market on for-sale land" story by Rupa Shenoy 9/2/10 Audio and text link
- Minnesota Public Radio "Development an opportunity for neighborhood" story by Tom Weber 8/7/10 link
- Finance and Commerce "School district shopping site near Hiawatha LRT" article by Burl Gilyard 7/29/10 link
- KFAI Radio "Neighborhood Spotlight" on citizen planning efforts 7/23/10 Listen here Note: the 10-minute segment begins at 38:15.
- StarTribune "Market Bucks" column by Gail Rosenblum 6/24/10 link
- "Market is secure at 2225 East Lake," CNO Advocate 4/27/10 link
- CNO begins work on Sustainability Statement and Performance Goals, CNO Advocate 1/4/10 link
- StarTribune "Small Potatoes" column by Gail Rosenblum 9/3/09 link
- "Redevelopment update," CNO Advocate 6/9/09 link
- "Market deserves to stay," Gary Schiff newsletter 5/11/09 link
- "Contaminated neighborhoods access locally-grown food," CNO Advocate 4/10/09 link
- "Open house builds support," CNO Advocate 3/2/09 link
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1999 Local government begins comprehensive land use planning around the future Lake/Midtown light rail transit station.
2001 Residents convene for professionally-facilitated community workshops that refine previous planning efforts with a focus on several sites including 2225 East Lake.
2002 …the resulting Corcoran Midtown Revival Plan imagines a diverse, pedestrian-oriented mix of housing and commercial uses, with increased building heights and densities balanced by public open space such as a farmers market.
2002 The Corcoran Midtown Revival Plan is adopted by the CNO Board and General Membership, and the Minneapolis City Council.
2002 In keeping with the Corcoran Midtown Revival Plan’s call for Working Groups to implement “Key First Step Projects,” a citizen committee researches and prepares to launch a public market.
2003 Residents open the Midtown Public Market (now Midtown Farmers Market).
2004 Hiawatha light rail begins operation.
2005 City updates zoning by parcel.
2008 Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) announces plans to relocate Anishinabe Academy and sell the property for redevelopment.
2009 CNO sends a letter to public officials reaffirming the principles of the Corcoran Midtown Revival Plan.
2009 With the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), CNO conducts a research study of transit-oriented farmers markets while engaging residents, public officials, and developers to ensure the conversation about redevelopment includes citizen-identified priorities such as strong pedestrian connections to light rail and sustainable development.
2010 …an initiative to preserve the Market makes Hennepin County’s capital investment platform, as well as the Minnesota Senate’s, serving to elevate the profile of these issues.
2010 Resident Task Force completes 6 design charettes with prospective development team. The resulting master plan (which has not been endorsed by CNO at this time) imagines a diverse, pedestrian-oriented mix of housing, retail/office space, and public plaza.
2010 June: CNO and CURA begin a research study on demand and supply of public parking in the context of redevelopment.
2010 June: MPS invites CNO committees to collaborate on its Request for Proposals draft.
2010 August: Request for Proposals issued.
2010 September: CNO and CURA complete research project on parking, release report.
2010 December: Minneapolis school board votes in favor of L&H Station Group's redevelopment plan, which includes space for the Midtown Farmers Market.
2011 June: new resident Task Force begins meeting with L&H Station Group to refine site plan.
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