Tuesday, June 5, 2007

the amish market: not endangered yet (updated)

"This is the closest thing we have to a town square." - Shelley Rochester, activist


MORE UPDATES: The Amish Market could move to Upper Marlboro: check it out.

With plans to redevelop the forty-year-old Burtonsville Shopping Center (pictured) - but without the locally revered Dutch Country Farmers' Market - the Post has declared "Twilight for [the] Amish Market." Or have they spoken too soon? I have word that a local landowner has been working with the market to keep this Burtonsville institution in Burtonsville. More info as it comes along . . .

UPDATE: The potential loss of the Amish Market has gotten attention from across the area. DCist, already smarting from the fire at Eastern Market, sends its condolences to Burtonsville; meanwhile, Columbia Talk and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space consider luring the Market to their own communities.

As for staying in Burtonsville: the owner of a site behind Route 198 has approached the County, developers and the Market about re-locating the Amish Market there. The property is about an acre in size and would be accessed by the Burtonsville Access Road, set to start construction next year.

While the new property wouldn't give the Amish Market visibility on Route 198, it would hopefully continue to provide East County with the community center and quality fried chicken we've enjoyed for the past twenty years.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How can they move an insititution that has been such a strong part of the community, and really one of the major draws to that area for so long? Putting it in Upper Marlboro would just alienate those of us who go to the market from close into DC.

It would be a shame to move from such a great location.

Vestis Spectator said...

I heard last night that they were going to move to Laurel, Maryland. I'm not sure what my friend's source was, though!

I really hope they do move to Laurel, or even closer to the beltway. I live in Greenbelt.