Eastern Market begins work on Shed 5 renovation

Eastern Market has begun renovating Shed 5 with an eye for not only improving customer experience but also creating a dynamic space for culinary entrepreneurs.

"It's a pivotal project for us because because it allows us to improve three critical areas of the market," says Dan Carmody, president of Eastern Market Corp, which manages Eastern Market.

Shed 5, the northernmost enclosed shed in the market, will undergo a complete renovation from its concrete floors to its roof. The new shed will have radiant heat in the floors, energy efficient windows and doors, new bathrooms and a new roof. The core systems of the building (electric, plumbing, etc) will also be replaced.

Eastern Market will also create a plaza in the area between Russell Street and Shed 5 and a community kitchen inside the shed. The shared-use Community Kitchen will expand the market’s role in providing food and nutrition information, and encourage greater use of the market as a place for civic and community events. It will also serve as an incubator for specialty food businesses. Today Eastern Market provides space for about 50 niche food businesses, which is up from none a few years ago.

Eastern Market has been extensively renovating its infrastructure over the last few years. It recently spent $9.3 million renovating Shed 2 (the open air shed on the southern end of the market) in 2008 and Shed 3 (the enclosed shed between Sheds 2 and 5) in 2010. Carmody says Eastern Market Corp will next look to renovate other sections of the market away from the main sheds when the Shed 5 project is complete.

"We have a couple of different ways we could go," Carmody says. "The next step is to strengthen the Gratiot end of the market."

Source: Dan Carmody, president of Eastern Market Corp
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.