17th Street Market Construction Begins!

We are thrilled to announce that the long-awaited renovation of 17th Street Market began this week! The market square will transform into an open-air pedestrian plaza, with work wrapping up next spring. The new market will feature mature oak trees, a central splash-pad fountain, and cafe-style seating to complement the restaurants lining the square. Designed to create a more flexible space, the market’s layout will be ready for a wide variety of  day-to-day programming, as well as for festivals, community events, and a weekly farmers market. The City of Richmond selected Enrichmond to manage and insert programming into the market once construction is completed. Our vision for the market is to provide our diverse neighborhood with a vibrant community space where they can find healthy, sustainably sourced foods and support our local farmers, neighborhood retailers, and restaurants. As a family-friendly market square, a number of additional activities and events will be planned throughout the year designed to engage and entertain our neighbors.

Look for updates on the 17th Street Market page as construction progresses. We will have a grand opening in late Spring or early Summer 2018!

In related and exciting news for the Market, Chef Tsui of EAT Restaurant Partners is opening a new restaurant in the River City Diner space. He expects to close the deal this Friday and has not yet commented on the rebranding. EAT Restaurant manages 8 Richmond restaurants, including the popular spots Foo Dog, Fat Dragon, and Wong Gonzalez. The move is another example of the investments in Shockoe Bottom to revitalize it as a safe, exciting place to work and live. Chef Tsui offered a hopeful outlook on the move to the Market, saying, “I think Shockoe Bottom is the next hot destination in Richmond and we are very happy to be here.”

Although we are sad to see our neighbors at River City Diner go, they chose a great replacement!

Please contact the Market Manager, Paige Harris, with questions.