The Indianapolis City Market is a historic public market located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was founded in 1821 and officially opened in its current facility in 1886. The market building is a one-story, rectangular brick building trimmed in limestone. It has a front gable center section flanked by square towers.[2][3] While it was originally a farmers market, it is now a food hall. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1]
History
The current marketplace was originally two separate buildings called the Market House and Tomlinson Hall. The basement became known as the catacombs after a vendor tried to unsuccessfully convert it into a shopping mall. The marketplace was the first place to sell bananas in the city, which were introduced by Italian immigrants that imported the product.[4] In 2021, the market received $270,000 in direct subsidies for its operations from the city.[5]
On June 15, 2022, the city of Indianapolis announced plans to replace the east wing of the market that had been added in the 1980s with an 11-story, 60-unit apartment building that includes 8,000 square feet (740 m2) of office space and 22,000 square feet (2,000 m2) of retail space. The $175 million project will also include converting the office building at 151 N. Delaware Street into a 350-unit multi-family housing tower and would result in the block having the highest population density in the state of Indiana.[6]
In March 2024, the market was closed to facilitate these renovations. Some tenants relocated, while others permanently closed.[7] Tenants received two months worth of free rent before the closure.[8]
