Farmer’s Market Showdown

(KTVI) – A new market could be going up near historic Soulard Market, but a lot of Soulard vendors don’t want the competition. St. Louis City officials could get an earful at a meeting Thursday morning.

The vendors of the Soulard Farmer’s Market Association take a lot of pride in working there but they think their days could be numbered if a competing market has its way.  The association says the new owners of the now-closed Sappington Market applied for zoning permits to open a new business about four blocks to the west of Soulard Market.

Members say they would be happy to see a grocery store in the area, but they say the owners want to open a farmer’s market on Lafayette, just west of 12th Street.  Soulard Farmer’s Market Association members say a new market so close would wipe out business at the century-old Soulard fixture, especially since Soulard Market is not open on Sunday and cannot take advantage of revenue from that big grocery shopping day.

The zoing department will hold a meeting on the issue at 8:30 a.m.