New Indoor Farmers Market To Replace Downtown Farmstand

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jun 8, 2012 1:30PM

We heard earlier this week that Chicago's Downtown Farmstand was going to be closing on June 27. We mourned. Now we hear that a new market, the Farmstand Farmer's Market, is going to be opening in the exact same location on July 9. What?

If you're confused, so are we. According to the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the new market will "carry fresh produce and farm products, including baked goods from local vendors." They will stock products from Seedling Farms, Lehman Farms and local artisan producers, with a daily rotating selection of different foods. That sounds... a lot like Chicago's Downtown Farmstead.

This interim concept won't last forever. The Redeye reports that the Department of Cultural Affairs is going to put out a Request for Information on July 16, looking for new ways to repurpose the space.

The new concept will have to serve the public, and also provide nutritional education and information on local and sustainable goods. The City hopes to "promote a long-term mission of healthy eating and keeping Chicago as one of the greenest cities in the nation."

While we're happy to be granted a reprieve, we're still a bit confused. There has still been no response to our requests for comments from the City or the farmstand, so it looks like we'll be in the dark a little bit longer. After the summer, the store will be repurposed.

What would you do with that prime real estate?