Six years after City Council approval, Findlay Market's $5.7 million renovation begins today.

        The long-awaited overhaul that will double the size of the outdoor market won't be finished until 2003 — three years later than promised — because inadequate funding, changing plans and management problems have delayed the project.

        That's left Findlay merchants anxious for completion of the renovation because the market's weekly crowds have thinned since April's riots. At least two long-time vendors have closed.

        “The delays have been frustrating, but this may be happening at exactly the right time,” said Mary Sta gaman, vice president of newly formed Corporation for Findlay Market, a non-profit group that will manage the city-owned market when the project is finished.

        “We believe the market is a critical part of making Over-the-Rhine once again a vital neighborhood.”

        Indeed, merchants see the Findlay project as not only necessary for survival but instrumental in a larger role of revitalizing one of the city's poorest neighbor hoods.

        The Corporation for Findlay Market is debating whether it should expand its role beyond market manager to include neighborhood development. Already, the city is planning two housing projects immediately surrounding the market.

        Many Findlay merchants say the market's health is directly tied to the neighborhood's.

        “If you save the market,” says vendor Patti Walpole, “you save the neighborhood.”

        The blocks surrounding outdoor market are some of the city's poorest, marked by blight and crime. Over-the-Rhine's home ownership rate is only 3 percent.

        During April's riots, fires were set in neighboring streets. Vandals smashed windows. Looters carted away shoes and furniture.

        “The events that occurred in April — Findlay Market was kind of ground zero for a lot of that,” said Buck Niehoff, president of Corporation for Findlay Market.

        But even during the worst nights of rioting, the market house itself was largely untouched. Ms. Walpole sees that as a sign that even though rioters were frustrated by police and city policies, they recognize the market's importance to the neighborhood.

        “April affirmed my belief that we've got to get this done,” said Ms. Stagaman.

Effects of riots

        In the days after the riots, a large media blitz focused attention on the fragile state of the 149-year-old market, the nation's longest-running outdoor market west of the Alleghenies. Groups urged visitors to return as a show of support.

        Merchants did notice a swell of visitors in April and May. People squeezed through the narrow aisles of the market house, sampling sausages, cheese and fish.

        “People came back here who haven't been here in years,” said Al Silverglade of Silverglade's Delicacies.

        As that attention faded, so did the crowds, particularly on weekdays, Mr. Silverglade said.

        Mothers who wouldn't think twice about bringing their children to the market before the riots were suddenly evaluating their shopping habits.

        They curtailed weekday trips, said Jeff Gibbs, owner of Gibbs Cheese.

        “Saturdays have held up,” Mr. Gibbs said. “It's the weekday business that isn't there.”

        Wassler Meats, a Findlay vendor since the early 1930s, closed after April's riots. Deveroes, a shoe and apparel retailer hard hit by looters, also closed.

        Ken Wassler decided running shops at Findlay and in Bridgetown was too much work. He decided to close the Findlay shop that his grandfather opened when the city offered a space rent-free during the Great Depression. “It was just getting too difficult running two places,” Mr. Wassler said. “The situation in Over-the-Rhine had something to do with it.”

        Mr. Wassler said he'll think about re-opening a store at Findlay if the revitalization draws more customers.

        “We're going to let the renovation take place and see what transpires,” Mr. Wassler said.

Other work involved

        While city officials are anxious to launch the renovation to help the struggling merchants, they are fully aware it has the potential to be the most disruptive part of the project.

        The city has spent or committed more than $12 million on the overall project, which has included moving a play field, expanding Findlay's parking and building additional retail space at the market's north end.

        The city will pay D.A.G. Construction $5.7 million to make street and sidewalk improvements and renovate the market house.

        Construction crews this week start the sidewalk improvements and installation of old-style lights, said Toni Selvey-Maddox, interim director of the city's economic development department.

        The greatest disruption will come in January when construction crews strip the market house to its steel base and rebuild it.

        “It will be a challenge during construction,” Ms. Stagaman said. “Most people know vendors only by location. Sometimes they don't even know the names.”

        The city is working on a plan to forgive rent payment for vendors moved during construction. The vendors typically pay $2,150 every six months in rent.

        Signs will be installed to point customers to vendors.

        Ms. Selvey-Maddox said the market house project is being started later than anticipated because of funding and questions of scope. A $1 million federal grant will be used to help finish the market house job.

        A plan to build a special kitchen for new or expanding businesses has been put on hold in the interest of getting something done, Ms. Selvey-Maddox said.

        A management change also has affected the project.

        Findlay manager Tom Jackson was demoted from his position this summer after an internal city of Cincinnati audit found he failed to deposit $8,100 in funds, to track rents owed by vendors and to monitor parking.

        Mr. Jackson, who did not return Enquirer phone calls last week, has appealed his demotion to the city's Civil Service Commission.

        Vendors like Jean Bender have been frustrated by the slow process. “We know what was needed — a bigger market that is updated,” Ms. Bender said. “I hate to say the city kind of drug its feet, but it did.”

        Merchants say improving the market's prospects is critical to the surrounding neighborhood.

        “Findlay Market is the core of that part of Over-the-Rhine,” said Mr. Niehoff.

        Neighborhood activists and residents say other events since April will play a critical role in charting Over-the-Rhine's future.

        City Council has directed Cincinnati's planners to finish a comprehensive plan this fall that balances the interests of the neighborhood's poorer residents and developers eager to build housing.

        Hart Realty and its affiliate companies, the city's largest low-income housing landlord, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The landlord will probably sell a large chunk of its portfolio.

        The city already has plans for new housing in the buildings immediately surrounding Findlay Market.

        The city has agreed to give Scheer & Scheer $1.3 million to renovate eight buildings immediately south of the market. The developers will customize the renovated buildings for each buyer. Buyers so far have asked the developers to build rental units on lower levels.

        The idea is to create a mix of rental and owner-occupied units, which the neighborhood desperately needs.

        To further the goal of more housing in Over-the-Rhine, the city is considering buying more buildings through foreclosure. Possible candidates include a group of more than one dozen that were abandoned by a landlord last year.

        Mr. Niehoff said his group will consider taking a more aggressive role in fostering development in the blocks near Findlay Market.

        “It's the perception we've always been fighting here,” Mr. Gibbs said.

Renovation begins at Findlay Market
Locals to attend Macy's parade
ECKBERG: Buffett's managing style: trust
Morning Memo
Promotions & new on the job
The Success Coach
United moves to regain confidence by replacing Goodwin
Economic bill tangled in debate
Attacks shake commercial real estate
GM selling Hughes to EchoStar
McDonald's loses $5M HIV lawsuit