New Essex Street Market Will Add Two Full-Service Restaurants and 11 More Vendors

When Essex Street Market — an OG of NYC food halls — moves into its sleek new home across Delancey Street in one year, there will be the addition of two full-service restaurants and 11 new vendors. Just don’t ask what they are yet, because the city hasn’t decided. New York City Economic Development Corporation manages the long-time market, and has just put out a request for proposal for the to-be-determined spaces.

The move for the market has been a very long time coming, as part of Essex Crossing, a multi-block urban renewal development that encompasses 1.9 million square-feet of residential, commercial, and community space. Of the nine buildings in the development, beneath three of them will be the marketplace called the Market Line, 700 feet of food vendors and more in the spirit of Pike Place Market in Seattle or La Boqueria in Barcelona rather than a food hall: It’ll incorporate a farmers market, a market-shopping destination, and places to eat. The buildings will be connected on the basement level, with views to the street level and natural light.

Essex Street Market is designed to be part of the Market Line, with 36,000 square-feet on the first floor and 7,000 square-feet on the second floor mezzanine of site 9, which sits on Essex between Broome and Delancey. There will be 39 vendors total, which is public and mission-driven and will remain so in the move, said Principal Rohan Mehra of the project’s retail development firm Prusik Group.

As for the two restaurants, NYCEDC wants them to be independent, locally-based restaurateurs or restaurant groups that will highlight seasonal produce on the menu. Each space is about 1,100 square-feet with dedicated entrances from the street. Rent will be determined after each operator is selected.

The 11 new vendors in Essex Street Market will get 87 to 532 square-feet each. There will also be a demonstration kitchen on the second floor and extended hours for it all. See the floor plan below:

New York City Economic Development Corporation

The new-and-hopefully-improved Essex Street Market is expected to open in a year, at which time the current market will close and be demolished for residential housing. Proposals for the restaurants and vendor spaces are due by July 14.

• All Coverage of Essex Street Market [ENY]
• Essex Crossing’s enormous, ‘world-class’ marketplace gets new renderings [Curbed NY]
• New Essex Street Market Retail Food Spaces for Lease (2018) [NYCEDC]