"The
repeat customers upon whom many of our businesses
depend may not find their favorite exhibitors in
their previous locations, but they'll be
nearby," Rall promised.
A
first wave of exhibitor relocation began last
weekend when many were moved into Seventh Street,
which the City closed adjacent to the market
building site.
The street closure, from North Carolina
Avenue to C Street, will continue this weekend and
"we hope at least through the reconstruction
of the building," Rall said.
A
second, larger, movement will begin this weekend on
the Hine School lot across the street from the
market. There, control of a 75' X 251' section of a
playground, which previously contained more than six
dozen exhibitor spaces on Sundays, has apparently
been transferred from DC Public Schools to DC
Government for construction of a temporary facility
to house the South Hall food businesses destroyed in
the fire.
"It's
the most amazing positive reaction I've ever
seen" in more than 24 years of dealing with DC
agencies, Rall exclaimed. New fences cordoning off
the section began placement on Wednesday and
construction is expected to begin Monday, "only
three weeks to the day from the fire."
Announcement of the arrangements is expected at noon
today by Mayor Adrian Fenty in a news conference at
the site.
"Our
staff has had to scramble to keep up with the
changes, but we hope to manage an orderly
process," of relocations Sunday, Rall
continued. Two areas adjacent to the playground
containing basketball and tennis courts, previously
off limits to the flea market, have been promised
for the exhibitor relocations.
Communications
Director Mike Berman has reconfigured and mapped the
new market spaces, Assistant Managers Rudy Coates
and Charles Ellis have been ground-marking the new
lay outs, and Reservations Manager Vernon Burnett
has been coordinating with displaced
exhibitors. Rall praised their efforts,
"Everybody has been working long hours of
overtime."
View
Berman's map posted
in our exhibitor menu at EasternMarket.net
