Displaced merchants await relocation

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Eastern Market business owners displaced by the fire in April said they have learned that Mayor Adrian Fenty’s pledge to relocate them in a temporary site by the end of this month will not be fulfilled.

Merchants, some of whom have been skeptical of Fenty’s deadline since construction began in May, say they have been told they will not be able to move in until the middle of August.

Joanne Jung, a co-owner of Paik Produce, said Tuesday that while she wasn’t too upset by the delay, she was eager to move. Jung is one of several merchants who have been operating on the sidewalk next to the South Hall since the fire.

“It’s so hot outside and everything [is] so easily getting bad,” Jung said.

Fourteen merchants were displaced when an April 30 fire gutted the 134-year-old market’s South Hall. Fenty vowed to restore the building within two years and in May announced Turner Construction would build a $490,000, 50-by-230 temporary building.

Already, Fenty’s July 15 deadline to have construction on the building finished has been missed. On Tuesday, crews had one-third of the building framed out and were working to finish installing its steel beams.

Joel Causey, a project manager for Turner Construction, said there had been no major setbacks.

“There was a slight delay in the steel production but that’s because they were fabricating them from scratch from what the designs were,” Causey said.

Despite the missed deadline, community members said they did not think it was a sign of other things to come with the market’s future renovation efforts.

“I’d rather have them miss some deadlines to get it done right,” said Capitol Hill Restoration Society President Dick Wolf.

Fenty’s office did not return calls for comment on the temporary site construction.

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