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BRA Board Approves Boston's First Year-Round, Indoor Public Market

Apr 18, 2014

02212014-Boston-Public-Market-at-136-Blackstone-Street_FOR-WEB-(2).jpgLast night BRA Board approved the development of the Boston Public Market (BPM) at 136 Blackstone Street. This will be Boston’s first indoor, year-round public produce market. The finished market will occupy 28,000 square feet of ground floor retail space below an existing parking garage.
 
The Boston Public Market will offer a major addition to Boston's existing "Market District", which includes Haymarket, Fanueil Hall, Quincy Market, the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, and the North End.

Modeled after indoor produce markets in Europe, the Boston Public Market will house a number of vendors from across Massachusetts. Products sold may include fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats, seafood, beverages, and flowers, depending on the season. The project will emphasize both nutrition and education and will house a demonstration kitchen. Though the market will be close to popular tourist sites, including Fanueil Hall and the Freedom Trail, it is meant to primarily serve the local community rather than visitors. 
 
The BPM project has been over 13 years in the making, involving numerous partners throughout its development. The idea for a public market was first proposed in 2001 by an independent group, which became the nonprofit Boston Public Market Association. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been a major supporter of the BPM, providing the land at Parcel 7, administering the 2012 RFP process for a market developer, and contributing seed funding to the project. The BRA's Planning Division conducted a Market District Feasibility Study in 2008 to determine the viability of the project, and a BRA staff member has served as an advisor on the Commission to Establish a Public Market. 
 
The BPM is scheduled to open in the summer of 2015. For the upcoming season, shoppers can purchase produce at the BPMA's existing seasonal markets on the Greenway and at Dewey Square.

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