Eastern Market to share master plan at Feb. 29 town hall session

The Eastern Market Corp. is hosting a town hall meeting on Feb. 29 to share details of the organization's draft master plan for the district.

The plan, created by Chan Krieger Sieniewicz of Boston, divides the neighborhood into six distinct areas. "The market is so massive and there is so much vacant land and underutilized buildings, the plan has come up with proposed sub-districts," says Kim Hill of the EMC.

The core district is, of course, the public market area. The plan focuses on improving operations, quality control and shed renovations.

The Orleans Corridor is already dense with wholesale businesses and slaughterhouses. Hill says the plan recommends growing those types of businesses while adding additional smaller businesses, lofts, restaurants and bars to the area.

The Rivard/Mack Sector is home to wholesalers with larger footprints, a role it is expected to continue. It is recommended as the market's primary truck route.

The Wilkins Corridor, which runs east and west, is being looked at as a  connection axis between the market and its neighbors.

A key stakeholder in this area is the Detroit Edison Public School Academy on St. Aubin. The school is working with EMC and the Greening of Detroit to incorporate food production into its curriculum; a 2.5-acre city parcel is being pursued in order to implement this concept.

Hill says the organization is also looking into ways to create energy from food waste, a plan that she hopes to see implemented in 2009.

The fifth sub-district is the Dequindre Cut, a pedestrian and bicycle trail being carved out of an unused, depressed rail line. The current phase of development, which will run from the East Riverfront to Gratiot, will be complete in July 2008. Hill hopes to see it eventually extend up to Wilkins.

Finally, the plan examines the Gratiot Ave. Corridor, calling for a furthering of its current mixed-use condition. "It's a pretty cool place already," says Hill. "We want to continue to build upon what it already is: lofts, art, community." Of particular interest is improving connectivity across Gratiot.

The draft plan can be downloaded at DetroitEasternMarket.com.

The meeting will be held at noon at EMC's offices, 2934 Russell Street. RSVPs are requested; call 313.833.9300 or email [email protected].

Source: Kim Hill, EMC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh