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CHS Pics | What it looked like when the farmers market moved into its new Capitol Hill Station home

After 11 years and one pandemic, the Capitol Hill Farmers Market debuted Sunday in its new forever home on Broadway amid the Capitol Hill Station plaza, the city’s converted “festival street” that runs through it, artwork of the under construction AIDS Memorial Pathway, hundreds of new market rate apartments, more than 100 new affordable apartments, and thousands of square feet of new retail, grocery, and restaurant space hoped to be full of activity over the summer.

That bounty of change was greeted by a Seattle spring day imitating August with sunny blue skies. Here’s what it looked like.

CHS reported here on the new home and new layout for the weekly market bringing fresh fruits and vegetables, and vendor creations to the neighborhood. For now, the market will continue with its every Sunday 11 AM to 3 PM schedule but the future could bring expanded days and hours. The market is currently operating under pandemic restrictions with about half as many vendors as will eventually fill the space.
The market now spread out on the “festival street” created where the former E Denny Way runs through the station campus. In 2019, the city designated the stretch between Broadway and 10th Ave E as E Barbara Bailey Way to honor the late founder of Broadway’s Bailey/Coy book shop. The city designed the festival street as a one-way traffic route above the center of the underground Capitol Hill Station facility and through the development, plaza, and the AIDS Memorial Pathway. It is closed to vehicular traffic during the market and event hours and the market’s edges spill onto station plaza.

The pathway’s colorful signs are part of its first outdoor art elements installed with more to come as the project’s backers hope for a June 2021 completion.

CHS reported here on the move and the history of the market which marked its final day at 10th and Thomas in 2010 before moving to Broadway near Seattle Central during years of light rail and housing construction.

Above the station and plaza, development more than 20 years in the making is filling with residents and plans remain for incoming businesses to take their spaces on Broadway and around the plaza space. Retail planned for the project including grocer H-Mart and The Exploration Academy daycare is moving forward with openings coming soon for some of the project’s new tenants.

Meanwhile, you’ll find the weekly farmers market along E Barbara Bailey Way and on the station plaza between 10th Ave and Broadway every Sunday 11 AM to 3 PM. Learn more at seattlefarmersmarkets.org/chfm.

 

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dave
dave
2 years ago

yay!

Jason Lee
Jason Lee
2 years ago

Yet, they are using port a potties in the forever home. Why is there no sink or bathrooms as part of the space?

G L
G L
2 years ago
Reply to  Jason Lee

It’s at Cal Anderson park which has bathrooms

Kate Skees
Kate Skees
2 years ago
Reply to  G L

It’s 2 blocks to the bathrooms at Cal Anderson, and they’re often locked (see above re: public restrooms). The famer’s market is not at the park; a few tents sit at the north end, but everything else is across Denny.

G L
G L
2 years ago
Reply to  Kate Skees

The patch of grass in the first 2 photos of this article are Cal Anderson park. The bathrooms are seasonal. Thanks for sharing your theory and fears. Lol

Kate Skees
Kate Skees
2 years ago
Reply to  Jason Lee

Because unfortunately public bathrooms become magnets for illegal activities unless they are supervised. The city invested in some expensive stand-alone bathrooms in the 90s, but had them removed because folks were using them for drug use & sex. I worked at the Market for years and live near Cal Anderson and public bathrooms are constantly problematic. Even bathrooms in businesses like Target and Starbucks have these issues. Can’t have nice things… like a public toilet.

genevieve
genevieve
2 years ago
Reply to  Jason Lee

I’m not sure I’ve ever been to an outdoor farmer’s market that had its own toilets. Is that a realistic expectation?

Kate Skees
Kate Skees
2 years ago

Tried to go but no social distancing happening at all. Lay-out in the plaza makes all the long lines snake into one another.

Jilly Bean
Jilly Bean
2 years ago
Reply to  Kate Skees

That isn’t true at all. There was plenty of room to socially distance and people were great about it.