Sweet Auburn Curb Market

Sweet Auburn Curb Market
Exterior of Municipal Market from Edgewood, with associated Atlanta Streetcar stop (2019)
Sweet Auburn Curb Market is located in Atlanta
Sweet Auburn Curb Market
location in Intown Atlanta
Sweet Auburn Curb Market is located in Georgia
Sweet Auburn Curb Market
Sweet Auburn Curb Market (Georgia)
Sweet Auburn Curb Market is located in the United States
Sweet Auburn Curb Market
Sweet Auburn Curb Market (the United States)
General information
Coordinates33°45′16″N 84°22′38″W / 33.7544996°N 84.3772128°W / 33.7544996; -84.3772128
Opened1923

The Municipal Market is a historic market located in Atlanta, Georgia's Sweet Auburn Historic District at 209 Edgewood Avenue, S.W. The market operates as a nonprofit enterprise, with the building leased from the City of Atlanta and the individual vendors sub-leasing.

History

The market in 1924

The market was originally established in 1918 on land cleared by the Great Atlanta fire of 1917. The farmers' market, set up in a huge tent, was an immediate success, bringing urban consumers direct access to farmers and their products.[1] Wishing to give the market a more permanent home, the Atlanta Woman's Club raised almost $300,000 for a fireproof brick and concrete building which opened on May 1, 1924,[1] named the Municipal Market of Atlanta. At the time, it was located in the exact geographic center of Atlanta and quickly became "the place to shop" for every Atlantan.[2] The market building was owned by the City of Atlanta and operated by a lessor under a 50-year agreement.[3]

The Municipal Market quickly earned the affectionate nickname The Curb Market, partly for the neighborhood that formed around it due to prevailing Jim Crow laws, and partly because blacks were only permitted to sell from stalls lining the curb. At that time, Atlanta was still living under racial segregation; although blacks were permitted to shop alongside whites inside the market, only whites were allowed to sell from shops inside the market.[1][3]

The 1950s and 60s saw the advent of supermarkets, suburbs, and integration; these resulted in many black residents dispersing from the area and consequently, traffic to the Curb Market fell, leaving vendors unable to pay rent. In 1973, with the market's lease about to expire, Mayor Sam Massell asserted the market had "outlived its usefulness" and refused to negotiate another lease, as local farmers were no longer selling their wares at the market, and the city was receiving a relative pittance compared to the value of the land. At that time, though, a "Save the Market" campaign was launched, showing the market collectively had annual sales of $2.8 million and was the largest "soul food shopping center" in the country, providing specialty cuts of meat to a primarily black, low-income clientele. A group of banks issued a million-dollar loan to renovate and rehabilitate the Market, and it continued in operation.[3]

The City of Atlanta purchased the Municipal Market building in 1980, but sales continued to decline until Atlanta was awarded the 1996 Summer Olympics, bringing nearly $8 million for rehabilitation.[4] The renovation of the Curb Market started in 1994 and had a grand reopening on September 26, 1997.[2][3] President Bill Clinton visited the market on May 11, 1999.[2][5] The building was later severely damaged during the 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak.[1]

Interior of Municipal Market, featuring original exterior sign (now lit and displayed inside)

In 2010, the Municipal Market received both Community Development Block Grant funding and a Stimulus Grant for a total of $1.8 million.[6][7] As part of basic maintenance and updates, a portion of the funds were used to replace the sign damaged by the tornado of 2008. Because the management was able to locate the original exterior sign and have it repaired and displayed inside the building, the city's department of Urban Design approved the creation of a replica of the sign to be displayed on the Edgewood Ave side of the building. Renovations and restoration started in July 2011 and were completed by May 2012, under the supervision of the architect Bill Clark, carried out by the J.M. Wilkerson Construction Company.[8]

The Municipal Market was called the Sweet Auburn Curb Market starting in 1998. However, in 2018, as part of the 100 year anniversary, the Municipal Market Company decided to rebrand the market to reflect the original name.

Design

The brick building was designed by the Atlanta architect A. Ten Eyck Brown.[6] As originally built, the single-story market and entrance was flanked on either side by two-story towers, but these were removed during the first renovation of the building in the 1970s.[9]

In media

The market was the filming location for a scene in the 2014 film, Ride Along, which takes place and was filmed in Atlanta.[10] It is also featured in the ABC television series Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, appearing in scenes for the thirteenth episode, entitled "Fishtail".[citation needed]

Tenants

Vendors within the market are individually owned businesses and offer goods including meat, fish, baked goods, vegetables, fruit, nuts, coffee, plants, groceries, and more. Additionally, there are many restaurants located in the market, including several that have gone on to start stand-alone restaurants, such as Grindhouse Killer Burgers and Bell Street Burritos. The Market is seen by some as a place to incubate a small business.[6][11]

Transportation

The Market is served by the Atlanta Streetcar at the Sweet Auburn Market station.[12]

Services at Sweet Auburn Market station
Preceding station Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority MARTA Following station
Hurt Park
One-way operation
 Atlanta Streetcar Edgewood at Hilliard
toward King Historic District

References

  1. ^ a b c d Ward, Beth (April 26, 2017). "At The Sweet Auburn Curb Market, History Is Also On The Menu". WABE. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Sweet Auburn Curb Market". Project for Public Spaces. May 10, 2002. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Shimabukuro, Mary (November 6, 2016). "The Sweet Auburn Curb Market". The History of Our Streets. Georgia State University. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  4. ^ Chouteau, Dale L. (September 28, 1998). City of Atlanta, Empowerment Zone Program, Audit Case Number 98-CH-259-1005 (PDF) (Report). U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General. p. 47. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  5. ^ Naltchayan, Joyce (May 11, 1999). "US President Bill Clinton is given a bag of kaolin". Getty Images. AFP. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Cauley, H.M. (August 4, 2018). "Sweet Auburn Market serves 100 years of curb appeal". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  7. ^ "Recovery Act Funds Atlanta Municipal Market Revitalization" (Press release). U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. August 17, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  8. ^ "Sweet Auburn Curb Market Renovations & Restoration" (PDF). J.M. Wilkerson Construction. December 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  9. ^ "National Register Information System – Sweet Auburn Historic District (#76000631)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Caldwell, Mary (July 10, 2017). "5 films (besides 'Baby Driver') you didn't know were set in Atlanta". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  11. ^ Bonner, Jeanne (December 17, 2010). "Sweet Auburn Curb Market viewed as business incubator". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  12. ^ "Atlanta Streetcar". www.itsmarta.com. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
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