The Lane County Farmers Market will move to a new temporary home on Fifth Avenue between Oak and High streets starting April 3.

The move allows for construction of an improved, permanent site at its location at Eighth Avenue and Oak Street, the market announced Monday.

Joshua Berman, Town Square Analyst for the city of Eugene, holds an architect’s concept rendering at the “butterfly lot” in Eugene of what the year-round farmers market proposed for the site might look like.

The temporary relocation is one phase of the city of Eugene’s Town Square project, which looks to transform two blocks in the heart of Eugene into a civic and recreational hub. When completed, the Eugene Town Square will encompass the blocks between Pearl and Willamette streets and between East Seventh Avenue and East Broadway. Its features will include the new City Hall, improved Park Blocks and a year-round farmers market.

While relocated on two blocks north of the 5th Street Market District, the Lane County Farmers Market’s site will be demolished and a new permanent, covered building will be constructed. Work on the old site is tentatively set to start May 3, before demolition would begin on May 24, according to Eugene community development analyst Joshua Berman. Construction of the new market would then begin in August, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 22 next year.

The Eugene Saturday Market — normally held across the street from the Lane County Farmers Market — will not be affected by the construction and still will take place along the Park Blocks on Oak Street and Eighth Avenue as usual, according to the announcement news release.

“While the Farmers Market staff and vendors will miss having the Eugene Saturday Market as neighbors directly across the street, everyone is pleased that the Market will remain as close as possible to the downtown area this year,” the release states.

University of Oregon students Shae Boos, left, Siena Dorman and August Lewis-Hoogerhuis gather produce during a visit to the Lane County Farmers Market in Eugene.

The Farmers Market staff and board of directors worked with the city of Eugene to search for a temporary market location during the 2021 season, taking into account staying as close as possible to the market’s regular downtown site, having ample parking nearby and having enough space for vendors.

The 5th Street Public Market offered to let farmers market visitors use its parking spaces, which brings the total number of spaces available for visitors and vendors up to 700, according to the release.

“This temporary location will provide plenty of room for all our vendors, as well as plenty of parking for our customers, and will allow the organization to keep thriving while we wait for our permanent home to be constructed down at Eighth and Oak,” Lane County Farmers Market Manager Alexis Molinari said.

The market will be on Fifth Avenue, between High Street and Oak Street, every Saturday, starting April 3 and through Dec. 18. When it’s open, the market will only close the two blocks of Fifth Avenue and will not close High, Pearl and Oak streets, according to the release.

More information about the Eugene Town Square project, go to eugenetownsquare.org.  For more on the Lane County Farmers Market, go to lanecountyfarmersmarket.org.

Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com or 541-521-2498, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.

Source: The Register-Guard