Atherton Market will be moving to a temporary new home to make way for forthcoming development.
Don’t worry. It’s not going far.
Market Manager Samantha DeRosa confirms the market “intends to move to the interior of the Mill Building” located just across the parking lot from the Trolley Barn space the market currently calls home.
The exact timeline of the transition, however, is uncertain, especially for vendors. It’s also not clear if all of them will make the trip.
One vendor I spoke with thought the move might happen as early as this month but says the estimated timeline has been pushed back at least into May.
A representative from Edens, the owner and developer of the Atherton property, said the company is unable to confirm any details right now and denied a request for further comment on the timeline.
photo by Tara Lilly
The market’s temporary move will be part of the major redevelopment of Atherton Mill by owner/developer Edens.
Plans for the game-changing project call for a new five-story apartment building, parking and 60,000 square feet of additional retail space.
Atherton Mill rendering via mv+a
There are also plans for significant Rail Trail improvements on the Atherton side of the Blue Line tracks, including a continuation of the east side trail that currently breaks at East Tremont Avenue. The future plan shows a path that continues that trail through the Atherton property to Publix.
Related: South End’s Atherton Mill continues its transformation. See 8 renderings of what’s about to be built
via Edens
All the new development along with significant renovations to the market’s current building will make the existing Trolley Barn space unusable for the duration of the estimated two-year construction project.
The temporary, albeit long-term, solution is to move the market to another building in the same development. It’s important to reiterate, however, that the Trolley Barn will not be demolished. Instead it will be renovated, upgraded and eventually reopened.
In the meantime, Atherton Market’s new home will be in the nearby Parks-Cramer Mill building where Free People, Warby Parker and Living Kitchen are located.
Here’s a look at the space now:
Current tenant Not Just Coffee announced its own preemptive move into the same building last month and last week shared a photo of its new space, which will be located near the new market.
They plan to make their move sometime this month, which could be a gauge for the market’s move timeline.
via Instagram
Not Just Coffee’s new Atherton location via Instagram
Although every effort will be made to keep as many vendors involved as possible, the move to the temporary building will be a downsize to a smaller space and it’s unclear if all Atherton Market vendors will be involved.
Jeremy Pineda, an employee at Pet Wants, says the threat of losing booth space at Atherton Market is a concern for some vendors.
“For us it’s pretty easy because we have other locations,” he said. “For other vendors I know there is some stress.”
Continuity of the Saturday market is expected as part of a seamless shift into the new space, but there is no confirmed timeline to validate the promise.
Stay tuned for more as Edens prepares a formal announcement on the future of Atherton.
A grand re-opening of the market will be announced following the move.
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