Tommy Blog Eastern Market: Day Two | Eastern Market: Day Two |
|
|
|
| Written by Charles Allen | |
| Tuesday, 01 May 2007 | |
|
Yesterday's outpouring of support, memories and suggestions in the comments section of the blog has been very touching. Everyone is struggling with the loss of this landmark and historical gem for the Capitol Hill community, but there is a strong rallying effort behind rebuilding the market and finding ways to assist the vendors that have served this community for so long. As Tommy said yesterday, there is no idea we won't consider, so all the of the suggestions we've recieved via the blog, and in the hundreds of emails, are much appreciated. The Mayor and Tommy are holding a joint press conference at Eastern Market at 10:00 am this morning and we'll post new information following that event.
In the blog comments and emails, there was a great number of people who offered to make financial contributions to assist the vendors. We appreciate all the offers to plan and host multiple fundraisers, and we may go down that road shortly, but for now, we want to make sure everyone knows about the fund that Tommy and the Capitol Hill Community Foundation have set up - "Eastern Market: Keep It Going." You can contribute through the foundation by Clicking Here. Charles Allen [UPDATE 1:27 pm]: Mayor Fenty and Councilmember Wells announced the following information at today’s joint press conference: Timeline for rebuilding Eastern Market - Temporary location for displaced vendors is being sought immediately - Eastern Market outside will be operational this Saturday and 44th Annual Market Day will go on as scheduled – Mayor Fenty and Councilmember Wells will be on hand - District government is committed to help with payroll and economic stability; in addition, rent and tax payments for displaced vendors has been temporarily suspended - After initial assessments, completion of the renovations to historic Eastern Market is initally expected to take 18-24 months Funding the work needed at Eastern Market - Estimated costs for rebuilding the market are between $20 and $30 million - The CFO is working to identify where available District dollars will come from and should have an answer within a one week - Eastern Market and Georgetown library will move to the top of the list on this and next fiscal years’ budgets - Both Mayor Fenty and Councilmember Wells will go to Capitol Hill to ask for federal funds to rebuild - CHAMPS is hosting a fundraiser for bridge funding for vendors at Marty’s (527 8th Street, SE) on Wednesday, May 2nd, 6:00-8:00 pm - The Capitol Hill Community Foundation has set up a dedicated fund to benefit displaced vendors: http://www.CapitolHillCommunityFoundation.org Update from the Fire Chief - DC Fire Department has completed extinguishing the fire but building stability investigation is ongoing - Fire was accidental, likely caused by electrical short. No arson was involved. Electrical engineer is still investigating certain areas of building to find the exact source of the short - EMS is working with vendors to get their goods and money out of the building and hopes to have the building rendered safe by weekend - Will move fencing around building in closer to building as soon as know it is safe from falling debris - Structural assessment of the exterior walls reports that it is in good condition - Many of the trusses were burned through - Sprinklers were not required in 1873 when the building was built and if the Market had had them, DCFD estimates a 98.4% likelihood the fire would have been contained Readers have left 3 comments. (1) Untitled 2007-05-01 15:09:01 Many thanks for the update on what's happening. Written by Guest User () (2) Untitled 2007-05-01 23:06:11 why does it take 18-24 months to restore Eastern Mkt when we can build a baseball stadium from scratch in that same time? Why aren't you pushing for a more aggressive schedule? (3) Untitled 2007-05-02 08:03:10 I think the timeframe is based on the initial assessment and the fact that this is a historic building with preservation concerns - not something built quickly from the ground up. I'm very glad to hear our leaders saying they want it re-built as quickly as possible. I've got faith they'll push it as fast as they can. Written by Guest User () |
|
| Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 July 2007 ) |
Tommy did meet with many of the vendors at Tunnicliff's yesterday afternoon. It was standing room only and Tommy and City Administrator Dan Tangherlini shared some of the initial conversations they've had about the rebuilding effort, but focused on fielding questions from the vendors to address their immediate concerns. Tommy is committed to finding ways to help these small and local businesses stay afloat during this difficult time, and ensure that every one of them goes back into the Market once its rebuilt. One major announcement that was made was that the market will be open for business on Saturday, and Market Day on Sunday is moving forward.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|