Fulton Market | marketplace

 marketplace  Add category

3-story commercial building completed in 1983. Designed by Benjamin Thompson & Associates, it replaced former Fulton fish market buildings on this site dating from 1822, 1888 and 1951 (the later building being a simple 1-story garage-like structure for fish merchants, as a new main fish market had been constructed across South Street and just to the north in 1939) which had been razed in 1948. With that facility operating across South Street since 1939 (until 2005 when the fish market moved to the Bronx), the new building was instead created as a mixed market, initially filled with 30 shops and restaurants. The success of the market was short-lived, and by 1995 only six retail tenants remained, with some moving to the new Pier 17 across the highway. Various redevelopment efforts have had varying levels of impact.

The Market Building is now anchored by Bridgewaters Restaurant located on 1st and 2nd Floors (with outdoors terracing facing over both Fulton & Front Street sides; and the "Bodies Exhibition" on the ground floor. Also, since 2009 the South Street (street-level) storage units are often used for an actual street market in summer. Recently however the "Bodies Exhibition" has had to close due to severe flooding following the Super Storm Sandy effects.

The building is clad in red brick and grey granite. All four sides of the ground floor are covered by a large suspended metal canopy. The 2nd floor has large windows with broad stone sills and green metal framing. The top floor is clad in green metal and glass, with a pair of large triangular gables on each side, and a metal roof. The building was fully renovated in 2015.

www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/153299696