The Market in downtown Norfolk closing

[Telmnstr]

"It is with a sad and heavy heart to let you all know that as of

January 15, 2011 the Market will close for good.

Wine wise we will go out with a bang ~ Our next two Wine Down Fridays

will be extra special..

I am working on other things as special thank you to you all . I will

keep you posted.."

So much for downtown Norfolk.

My guess is high prices keep away customers, and their rent is ridiculously expensive.

[brikkman]

"It is with a sad and heavy heart to let you all know that as of

January 15, 2011 the Market will close for good.

Wine wise we will go out with a bang ~ Our next two Wine Down Fridays

will be extra special..

I am working on other things as special thank you to you all . I will

keep you posted.."

So much for downtown Norfolk.

My guess is high prices keep away customers, and their rent is ridiculously expensive.

The market?

what is that?

WHOA? you mean the farm fresh spin off?

Your kidding...

[Telmnstr]

Those emails come from some lady who runs the wine shop there, and she sends them to a guy that runs a community neighborhood group. He forwarded to the people on his list.

I remember a while ago the space was up for sale. The condo building people were trying to sell the space that Farm Fresh is in, even though they were there. Basically you'd get the Farm Fresh lease. Seemed kind of odd to me.

[mikeas]

Whole Foods has an empty space to move into now!

[urbanvb]

That's really sad to see the market going under.

[varider]

very bad news for downtown.. i guess we will see what the city is made of..will the space sit empty for years.. or will it be replaced with something better..whole foods like someone said would be great.. farm fresh isn't going to work because the population density does not support it..there's a farm fresh in every hampton roads' neighborhood.. put something unique to the area like whole foods market..i bet it's profitable

[Former Resident of HR]

Good riddance! People will pay a lot of money for higher quality but they are never going to pay top dollar for lipstick on a pig. I just wish that the city had recruited Whole Foods, Fresh Market or Trader Joe's from the start. I live close by and rarely if ever shopped there. Bad service, low quality and nothing special about the place at all.

[VbOrf tplnt]

I remember going there shortly after it opened, and it had a good crowd and seemed bustling. It was a different story last March, when I ran in to get something and the place was pretty much dead. I think it was me and another customer and this was a Sunday afternoon. I don't think downtown or even the condo building that it was in could support it (not to mention the building itself is barely occupied due to the condo bubble bursting). I could see something like a Trader Joe's or something very unique.

[VBIllini13]

Granted this is a much smaller city, with an exponentially smaller urban population, but there is a Whole Foods in the Fells Point/Canton/Inner Harbor area of Baltimore (the area where those all seem to blend together) and it is in walking distance to a bunch of row houses and condo/apartment complexes. It does really well even though it's really expensive and given there's a Safeway nearby, but the meats are top-notch and the salad bar is really good. Even if it doesn't get much traffic from the downtown/Freemason crowd, a lot of people from all over the Southside would drive to shop there.

[BFG]

There's an effort going to get a Trader Joe's there...I'm down with that or Whole Foods. It fits in more with the environment with nearby Ghent.

Problem with the Farm Fresh was the parking situation sucked. I'm not big on the idea of having to use a parking garage just to get one or two things.

[brikkman]

WOW!,

If that does not signal the council to get on the good foot, I don't know what will. So were do downtown shoppers go for groceries, GHENT, Wal-Mart?

I did go in there a few times, always seem busy, but then again, I wasn't really looking for much when I went. I went to get a jar of mayo one time, extremely overpriced, but I figured it was the norm for that side of town. Very very telling...

I do disagree with the spokesman thoughts about why the market was hurt. Construction is construction, this was a community farm fresh based in a community that supposedly walks to everything they need and want? Prices to high maybe? lease too high which probably fell in accordance with the high lease possibly? Regardless of if all the condos were filled or not, that has nothing to do with the business of eating? Are there that many people eating out in that community? Urban, chime in on this man, economy my butt.

Trader joes, harris teeter, so what...when it comes down to it, overhead is at question right?

Am I wrong?

In the video, they also mention the uncertainty of the union mission...So I guess the developer is having second thoughts or the classic, cant' get financing?

[Norfolk4Life]

i think this has more to do with farm fresh no longer being locally owned. i bet it wasnt that it didnt make money, but that it didnt make as much as they wanted.

[usermel]

Maybe the prices just didnt work for downtown. I think our WHOLE METRO isn't built for that way of grocery shopping despite how deep pockets of those who live in certain areas are. We may spend a few extra bucks on a night out but, I think most with BIG money still go to Wal-Mart or Food Lion or Farm Fresh locally. After the economy tanked that made it worse for The Market. I feel for those who will lose jobs and there businesses though. Its never good to see anyone lose employment or a business. That said, this market is a small symbol of why some things we want here are not hear. Our area isnt able to consistently support places like The Market. It would work in Northern VA, despite the economy. Here, its to risky. Lets hope another market to shop for groceries goes there in its place. Say a Food Lion(smaller one than normal sized). That would have worked to me!LGNM

[Norfolk4Life]

i shopped there a few times and found that the prices really were not that different from food lion or regular farm fresh stores.

[VAGATOR]

i think this has more to do with farm fresh no longer being locally owned. i bet it wasnt that it didnt make money, but that it didnt make as much as they wanted.

I bet you it was the sky high rent they were getting charged is what that killed their bottom line. I think a Whole Foods would be perfect, it would attract non-downtown customers, but who knows if they are a realistic option. It is kinda surprising they aren't in Hampton Roads yet. With Trader Joe's recently opening up in Virginia Beach, I just don't see them in Norfolk so soon.

[stillill]

There is an online petition to bring Whole Foods to that space. Go and sign:

http://www.petitiononline.com/m1a2j3/petition.html

[Titoroski]

i shopped there a few times and found that the prices really were not that different from food lion or regular farm fresh stores.

I second that.

I've been there a few times and it does usually seem a little empty for where it is. Something 24hrs would be nice too. Whole Foods would be great. I think Trader Joe's would be good but Whole Foods seems better fit. Trader Joes for 21st street maybe???

[Telmnstr]

Recently they had cut their hours back pretty far, which is a good indicator there was issues.

I saw the space listed for sale, where the buyer would get the Marketplace tenant. That was another odd sign.

I would have figured they got enough business to sustain, but a friend pointed out that the owner had large losses. Americans are struggling and it's showing up. Don't forget if you're on the stock market, it's not good enough to do real good. You have to constantly do better or else everyone dumps you. Instant gratification now.

It's kind of wild. I was inquiring about this warehouse in downtown Norfolk trying to figure out if there would be any way ever to purchase a building to use for our little innovation center lab thing. The owner of course wanted way more money than I can see as being realistic, wants to put up apartments. I shot back that there are way better properties for that kind of money and he said not in downtown Norfolk! I shot back that downtown Norfolk is dying. He didn't reply, but a few days later "the Marketplace is closing" news hit.

[brikkman]

Man, they cleaned house quickly, they are completely empty. There is nothing left but shelves, you can also see the lack of activity it has brought as well. Well, its just another space for NHRA and other city offices to move into now. I wonder how this affects the people actually living in the upper apts/condos. I'm sure it was part of their decision to move there as now it may feel less urban.

I can't shake the thought:

People in DT do not cook dinner? I get the impression everyone eats out. I'm sure they do not come to my side of town to grocery shop, or was it just that over priced for everyone? There is no more of a telling sign than a grocery store closing were a few thousand people are in walking distance to it. The next grocery store is about 3 to 4 miles away. Everyone living in DT, it was no more than 10 blocks away, yet now it closes?

I actually thought DT having a grocery store was a good sign of progress. I seriously think empty condos have anything to do with it or the construction, it had to be something else. The only positive that did come from this, the fresh market, pike-alike thing they were trying to determine if it would be viable seems to be off the table now. If a grocery store can't survive, why would a fresh market survive at waterside???

OHHHHH, would it be big enough for a bowling alley????

[zeppelin14]

^ I live very close to the Market. It does suck to see it go because I could walk there and get a few things and walk back. Now just to get milk, I have to drive to Ghent Market which is just as expensive...... Or to Walmart on Military Hwy which is 15 minutes away. There is nothing convenient anymore.

I do like that bowling alley idea. It is the perfect size for one.

[Telmnstr]

I don't know anyone who lives in Harbor Heights but a friend of a friend types mention people that bought them for investment and that don't really live in them full time. They just visit every once in a while.

Obviously people do live in some of them, and some are still for sale. The building itself seems impressive. Concrete. I like it.

[brikkman]

I do like that bowling alley idea. It is the perfect size for one.

I like the idea as well. I'm not sure if it can be pulled up with the building column placement though. The next cool place to put one is at the granby tower lot that they are currently making into a park. That is the perfect size for an urban bowling establishment with a few extra things. Not sure how the site of a court house right across the street would seem.

[mikeas]

I like the idea as well. I'm not sure if it can be pulled up with the building column placement though. The next cool place to put one is at the granby tower lot that they are currently making into a park. That is the perfect size for an urban bowling establishment with a few extra things. Not sure how the site of a court house right across the street would seem.

There was a bowling alley proposed for the ground level of Montgomery Square at High and Effingham in Portsmouth but I assume it lost steam since the space has been idle for well over a year after construction. The apartments above seem to be thriving though.

[zeppelin14]

Bowling alley across the courthouse not a great idea. Speaking of, I drove by it an hour ago and they are working on the site right now. A lot of workers cleaning and tearing up the old foundation.

[zeppelin14]

Old subject but does anyone else live in or near downtown? I live in West Freemason and have figured out that I walk to downtown far LESS now than when the Market was open.