The nonprofit organizations studying the potential of a year-round public market in Omaha have revealed its possible location at The RiverFront.
Heritage Omaha, which is collaborating on the project with Project for Public Spaces, announced that philanthropic supporters have secured land at 8th & Farnam Street as the preferred site for a possible year-round, indoor, nonprofit public market. The market could create vibrant community space, support local small businesses and start-ups, and feature fresh, prepared and specialty foods as well as arts, crafts and other local goods.
The announcement of the potential market location just south of the skate ribbon at Heartland of America Park came during Wednesday night’s public workshop to gather feedback on the project from community members, where attendees worked together to shape a market concept that feels uniquely ‘Omaha.’
Heritage Omaha President Tina Cherica said the market’s potential location aligns with the project’s goals.
“The generous philanthropic supporters, who secured this land want to ensure that whatever is built at 8th and Farnam streets will benefit our community – and that’s exactly what a public market aims to do,” Cherica said. “With a public market at The RiverFront, the more than 2 million people who visit the parks each year could share in the food and culture from Omaha and the surrounding area, those who live downtown would have greater access to fresh food and groceries, and local small businesses would have new economic opportunities.”
In addition to the feedback from the public workshops, community members and potential vendors can continue to guide the exploration of a year-round public market in Omaha by completing surveys at omahariverfrontmarket.org through July 9.
