Greenfield Avenue Revitalization, 2005
The Milwaukee Alliance, as part of a larger redevelopment plan to spur investment in the area, was interested in creating a farmer’s market on an important, under-utilized site located along historic Mitchell Street on Milwaukee’s southside. Mitchell is the life blood and the ‘main street’ of the Mitchell Street neighborhood.
In addition to adding a ‘natural’ quality to urban areas, modern farmer’s market meet an urban community’s need for a gathering place that encourages interaction with commercial interests and among residents. The location of the site, coupled with the historic quality of Mitchell Street, was an excellent fit for the location of a farmer’s market.
The Milwaukee Alliance desired a flexible design program that included an open air market that could transform itself into a space for larger community gatherings. They also wanted exterior gathering space, rest rooms, and storage space.
The Farmer’s market is on an abandoned, triangular shaped site located where Mitchell Street transforms itself from a commercial corridor into a residential one.
The farmer’s market design concept was developed to encourage use of the site and create a new community gathering location. The overall form is sculptural in nature, acknowledging the unique geometry and terminating condition of the site. The triangular site is filled with twenty-four open-air-stalls for the market with exterior space provided for local artists and community gathering. Flexibility is achieved by creating open exterior space and impermanent stalls under the roof so that the space can be used in multiple ways. The Mitchell Street façade of the building conforms to the historical and ‘main street’ character of the street. This façade also contains the restrooms and storage space.
