By December, three new storefronts will be open to the public at
Findlay Market. The storefronts, which are located at 129, 131 and 133 W. Elder St., are on the south side of the Market across from the summer Biergarten.
The storefronts have been under construction for the past month and aren’t quite ready for tenants yet. But Findlay Market wants public input on what the stores should be.
“Like the ‘
Before I Die’ public art project on Short Vine, we created two window displays for customers to tell us what should go there,” says Joe Hansbauer, Executive Director of Findlay Market.
The wishing wall, or “I Wish This Store Was,” is located at 129 and 131 W. Elder St.
Ideally, one of the three 1,000-square-foot spaces will be a restaurant, but the other two could be anything, Hansbauer says. Ideas for the stores range from a Hispanic grocery store to a store focused on local products that would complement what you can get on the weekends at the Market. A knife sharpener and cookware store are also potential options.
About 12 business models have been submitted, and Hansbauer expects to see more in the coming weeks. Both new and existing vendors have shown interest, he says.
The residential units above the storefronts won’t be developed at this time, but it’s possible that they’ll be developed and ready for tenants within the next 18 to 24 months.
The storefronts are all city-owned and will be transferred to the management of the Corporation for Findlay Market when complete.
Graybach was the developer of the project.
By Caitlin Koenig
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