Fayetteville is taking the next steps toward renovating an iconic city landmark, but much work is needed before breaking ground on structural improvements.
Over the next six months, the city’s engineers will analyze pedestrian safety and traffic mobility around the Market House to inform the structure’s renovation project, after the Fayetteville City Council greenlit the study at Tuesday’s work session. The updated renovation plans, which the majority of the council also expressed support for on Tuesday, include extending the brick pavers around the Market House into the inner lane of the traffic circle. Doing so would expand the space for a future mural or art displays and other educational or cultural activities.
The council approved a repurposing plan for the historic structure in August 2022, informed by community feedback sessions where about 500 people gave input on what they envisioned for its future. Once renovations are complete in 2026, the Market House will be used as an educational and cultural venue, with art exhibits and programs that emphasize the historical contributions of the local Black community, according to the approved plans.
In summer 2020, Black Lives Matter protesters called for the Market House to be taken down because of its history as a place where enslaved people were sold, triggering a greater conversation about the public square as a symbol of Fayetteville in the 21st century. The city subsequently removed the Market House image from branding materials, and the city council embarked on a repurposing project in 2021.
Renovation project
The updated renovation plans deviate from a design that city council previously expressed support for earlier this year. That design involved extending pavers surrounding the Market House into a square perimeter. On Tuesday, Assistant Public Services Director Byron Reeves highlighted “potential challenges” with this design, including a high likelihood of needing to replace the yield signs at each traffic circle exit with stop signs.
Reeves said a pedestrian safety and traffic analysis is the next step to fine-tune design plans for the planned renovation.
“We need to know where the underground and above-ground utilities are,” Reeves said. “We need to know where the street signs are, the change in elevation from the bricks and steps that are all around the Market House, so that’s where we’re talking about picking up above-ground features, steps, curb and gutters, planters, changes in surface.”
The Market House needs to be accessible and safe for pedestrians to use before it can be repurposed as a space open to the public, City Manager Doug Hewett told the council at Tuesday’s work session. The renovation also includes four crosswalks with traffic-rated concrete brick pavers.
“But in order to do any of that, you still have to get people from the sidewalk across the street to a raised platform, which is the Market House, safely,” Hewett said. “And so all of those considerations are the things … that you have to spend that money [on] before you can do others. This was the first phase.”
Afforded with a $1.5 million state grant, the renovations will make the Market House ADA accessible and improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow surrounding the structure, city staff said.
The renovations align with the initial findings of the Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. In April 2021, city council directed the Human Relations Commission to partner with the DOJ through its City-SPIRIT program to host events where residents could share feedback on how to repurpose the Market House. Residents who gave feedback at the time expressed a desire to widen the brick perimeter of the Market House and add four sidewalk corners to connect to the structure.
In extending the area of the brick pavers around the structure, the renovations will also cover up the “Black Lives Matter” mural surrounding the Market House. The mural was initially painted during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. The city removed the mural in January 2021, but then later decided to restore it.
The traffic operational and safety analysis will take about half a year to complete and cost about $100,000, Reeves said, which is covered by the state grant. The full renovation project is expected to be completed around August 2026, based on the current project scope and requirements.
Timeline of Market House repurposing project
- April 2021 — City council votes 9-1 to repurpose the Market House and directs the Human Relations Commission to gather community feedback on how to best reuse the space, in collaboration with the DOJ.
- March 2022 — Human Relations Commission and DOJ present initial findings from public input sessions, and the council directs the commission to seek more feedback from a more diverse audience. City appropriates $1.5 million state grant for renovations to make Market House ADA accessible and improve pedestrian safety surrounding the structure.
- August 2022 — Council approves repurposing plan for Market House. The plan, based on community input, involves using Market House for educational, historical and artistic displays, with emphasis on highlighting local Black history.
- November 2023 – January 2024 — City partners with SFL+A Architects to come up with preliminary design for renovations.
- February 2024 — Council expresses support for staff to proceed with the square design concept for expanding paver perimeter. Council approves an updated plaque in accordance with recommendations of Historic Relations Commission.
- September 2024 — Staff asks council to reconsider the square paver design, given concerns about its impact on traffic flow. Council expresses support for the alternative, recommended option of expanding the brick pavers into the inner lane of the traffic circle.
What’s next?
Reeves provided general estimates for future steps:
- March 2025 — City staff present results of traffic and operational safety analysis, provide council with options for future project direction.
- August 2025 — City staff complete vibration monitoring, finalize design, secure right-of-way, develop construction plans and put out bids.
- August 2026 — Market House renovations completed.
Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608. This story was made possible by donations from readers like you to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.
