Rendering of the proposed Broad Street Market connector building.
The Broad Street Market may be expanding.
Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams shared with local media on Thursday a proposal to build a new structure in between the market’s stone and brick buildings to house vendors.
Currently, the city is in the early stages of restoring the market’s brick building, which suffered significant damage during a fire in July 2023. However, city officials are now saying that, in addition to rehabbing that building, they are considering constructing a new building where the current market courtyard is located that would connect the two historic buildings.
“The city was trying to optimize the square footage that we have for the market and give the Broad Street Market the best chance, as far as moving forward, for growth,” said Dave Baker, the city’s director of facilities and special projects. “We would like to serve as much of the public as possible, and we are hoping that this middle connector building is something that will allow us to do both of those things.”
According to the city, the plan is still in the infancy stage as they have just recently received renderings from Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects. However, Williams said that she “definitely” wants to go in this direction, believing that it would help the market financially, as it would have more space for vendors.
The proposed 8,000-square-foot structure would have two floors with space for pop-up vendors and community meeting space. The building would provide a covered walkway between the two existing market buildings and would feature garage-door-type windows on the sides to roll up or down depending on the weather.
(From left) Mayor Wanda Williams, Interim Director of Building and Housing Development Gloria Martin-Roberts, Communications Director Mischelle Moyer and Director of Facilities and Special Projects Dave Baker at a press conference on Thursday.
To complete the proposal, the city would need to raise significant grant funding since the addition would not be covered by insurance money, as much of the brick building reconstruction will be.
Baker said that the cost of the new structure would likely be around $2.7 million. That construction, combined with the brick building rebuild and upgrades in the stone building, would total somewhere around $20 million, Baker estimated.
Although the city is considering the new structure, Baker stated that the brick building is still the city’s top priority and noted that they currently have enough money to cover its rebuild.
“We won’t let one project slow down another project,” Baker said. “Our full focus right now is on the brick building renovation and getting it back in business.”
Baker emphasized that the construction of the middle building is dependent on securing funding. The city will complete the brick building in a first phase of work then make upgrades to modernize the stone building and possibly build the additional building in subsequent phases. Baker estimated that the brick building would be complete in May 2026.
Baker said that the city would work with the Harrisburg Architectural Review Board (HARB) on the project.
Williams also said that the city would, at some point, have public meetings on the proposal.
According to Williams, the city has not yet talked to the Broad Street Market Alliance board about the proposal.
When reached by phone on Thursday, market board Chair Eric Hagarty said that he had not received any formal notice or communication from the city on this proposal.
And while Williams claims that the new construction would help the market financially, Hagarty said that it was “hard to say” whether that would be true or not, not knowing the specifics of the plan. He said that he would have concerns about the maintenance and utility costs that the market would incur.
Hagarty said that he has asked the city several times to meet with market representatives and vendors to discuss the plan, but has not received a response. He also noted that he hopes the city allows community members and vendors to weigh in on the initiative.
“I’m interested in learning more,” he said. “We are hopeful that the city remains focused on the brick building before anything else.”
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