DALLAS FARMERS MARKET MIXED-USE/ RETAIL

Dallas, Texas

Project Leader

2014

In 1941 the site at the corner of South Pearl and Taylor Street in the southeast quadrant of Downtown Dallas was officially sanctioned as the site for a municipally owned and operated farmers market for the sale of farm fresh produce. Three open-air sheds were constructed, at which the farmers’ trucks backed into concrete docks, and customer’s vehicles drove through the sheds, parked and shopped for groceries. Although for fifty years the market was vibrant and busy, it was characterized by exhaust fumes and a poor quality of light, and was hardly a pedestrian friendly experience.

Spectrum Properties successfully won the contracts to purchase the land and buildings from the City and operate the Dallas Farmers Market, based on a master plan vision, which dramatically changed the nature of the market, turning it into a pedestrian-focused mixed use village with food as the anchor. © Copyright GFF,

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The ultimate vision for the Market was to create a popular destination not only for local residents, but also for tourists looking for an experience that is authentically Dallas within a pedestrian oriented setting. As well, the existing street grid had to still accommodate the daily operations and traffic during business hours, but could also transform into pedestrian-only space for concerts or food festivals during busy weekends and for special events. Ultimately, these standards helped create a framework that encourages a vibrant street life through the incorporation of wide sidewalks with enhanced paving, for added safety pedestrian crossings with enhanced paving and curb bulb-outs, closely spaced street trees that aid in providing shade, pedestrian scale lighting that provide night time safety, and multiple seating opportunities for resting and people watching.