Essex Street Market Will Get Outdoor Seating and New Management, Finally

The nearly 75-year-old Essex Street Market, which has been struggling for some time now, is finally getting the changes it has been pushing the city for. The market will adopt a non-profit management structure, after the community board signed off at a Tuesday night meeting, reports Gothamist. The city-owned Economic Development Corporation, which vendors say has done more harm than good for the market, will still oversee lease approval and and a few other things, but the new set-up is similar to ones in place at successful markets in Philadelphia and Boston. The board is currently looking for the right non-profit to work with the market.

The market has also been granted zoning for outdoor seating on its northern edge along Rivington Street. That seating is slated to open by April 1 and will close up in late November.

Meanwhile, East Village staple Puebla Mexican Food, which shuttered last week, is eyeing a space in the market, so things might just be looking up.