Freight House Farmers Market, Davenport, IA

Market Expansion, Strategic Planning

The Market

An outdoor market with farmers, prepared foods and crafts sets up in a parking lot on the riverfront in downtown Davenport.

The Job

After 25 years, the Davenport Farmers Market was ready to evolve from their parking lot location into something more permanent. We assisted with an analysis of options that would allow the market to operate year round, provide customers a nicer atmosphere while integrating and connecting the market into mixed-use destinations along the riverfront and downtown.

The historic Freight House, largely unused, proved to be an ideal ‘market house’ enabling the hugely popular market to add flexible indoor space and basic comfort amenities. A business plan accounted for a transition to more financially self-sufficient operations The outdoor market still operates at full strength and the spaces closest to the Freight House are in a park-like setting that works as an attractive, flexible and usable public amenity for the city. (In collaboration with PPS)