Atlanta

Leave a comment Posted on 2000

The 2000s

In 2008, the Market was hit hard by a tornado that swept through Sweet Auburn. Beyond that, Sweet Auburn Curb Market saw some of the splendor that the Atlanta Woman’s Club inspired with an increase in shoppers and in tenants. The nation as a whole felt the increase in interest in historic spaces as seen in this NPR article.
In early 2017, the Atlanta History Center hosted its Party with the Past at the Market. There people were taught about some of the past that this website examines and enjoy some of the newest foods to hit the Market. The Curb Market has become a mixture of resturants, produce shoppes, butchers, tea stores and bakeries, along with different ethnicities and styles of food.

Southern Foodways shared the excitement. In 2014 a project was started that shared the importance of Southern foods, community and the generational love for the Market.

Leave a comment Posted on 1990

The Municipal Market becomes Sweet Auburn Curb Market: The 1990s

The 1990s were an exciting time as the Municipal Market became updated for the 1996 Olympics and the name was changed to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. The name came from before integration when Black shoppers were only allowed to shop on the curb, which gave it the nickname from the area of “the Curb Market.”

Karl Gustafson, the Market manager, admits the market has changed as the Sweet Auburn community has changed. No longer do Buckhead ladies send their chauffeurs to the curb market. No longer do the A&P and Piggly Wiggly set up shop in the market. But Gustafson insists the market can survive by attracting low- income customers, downtown workers, intown residents and tourists. To do that, he said, the market must broaden its offerings beyond the traditional Southern food base.

Between 1993 and 1996, the city had spent 7.5 Million dollars on the market to do just that. People felt that the issues the market faced was the hours and the clientele, along with the problem of the market stalls not being completed. At the time there was no where to buy foods like pasta or rice, mostly only meat and produce. At the time only 13 of the 34 stalls were full, but officials claimed this was because the stalls were not finished from the earlier renovations.

City officials had other reasons. Below the Market, the city had opened a food stamps office. Karl Gustafson, the Market manager said of the customer base, “We’ve got an established customer base. It’s largely African-American and on some type of government assistance. This market cannot survive on that base.” Officials also thought that the hours of the market, mostly 8-5, were harming the income of the Market and the ability of shoppers to visit.

The hope of the new renovation was that it would bring in tourist from around the area, along with downtown and Grady workers. Plans were included to dramatically overhaul the entire building. This included new lighting, restrooms, heating and air conditioning. Doorways that were closed with bricks decades ago were reopened to make the Market more appealing and accessible. Street front vendors were able to operate from the sidewalk. The parking lot was redesigned to allow for space for farmers to sell produce from their trucks and for the farmers market to be moved outdoors. The concrete ceilings, once painted black, were sprayed white in order to reflect light from the newly opened windows. Finally a new sign was added to the outside proclaiming the new Market.

“Right now if you walk by or drive by the market, it looks like a bricked-up warehouse. It doesn’t look like it’s open,” said marketmanager Karl B. Gustafson. The renovation will “make the market seem more vital and alive,” he said. Gustafson also hoped to bring in a bakery, health food and organic food in order to bring in more tourist and people looking for variety of food. The new foods show a change in the type of visitors the Market was looking for, these are traditionally higher income types of foods.

While there was excitement for some regarding the changes in the Market, many were worried that the changes would effect the clientele that is currently shopping. “It’s going to look real pretty, but I think it’s going to hurt,” said Steve Thompson, son of the Korean-American owners of The Meat Counter. “For the people we serve, it’s all right now!.” To make the market more attractive to vendors, officials replaced equipment such as old refrigerated cases with new, energy- efficient ones; rickety wooden stands with colorful new ones; and, in the basement, rows of walk-in coolers and freezers. The leases went up about ten dollars, but Market officials were still hopeful that people would want to start businesses at the Market as so many had before.
“We’re hoping that people who have always wanted to go into business will look at us,” said Richard Dent, who is in charge of leasing space. “We’re a really good deal – people can go into business for about $7,500 here instead of $65,000.

After all of the changes through the 90s, in May of 1999, President Clinton visited the Market.

Leave a comment Posted on 1980

Racism at the Soul Food Municipal Market: The 1980s

More Renovation


After overcoming a rough decade in the 1970s, the 1980s weren’t much better. It was another ten years of arguments for why the market should be closed. As well as the constant plans for improvement that were seen throughout the history of the Market.

Andrew Young, who saved the Market in the 70s, fought for the Market again, he argued, “The Municipal Market is really an institution in this city. We are hoping to expand it both in size and in concept to see if we can’t make it more of a focal point of activity and to see if it can serve as a bridge between Underground Atlanta, Auburn Avenue and the Martin Luther King historic district.” The proposal was for the Market to buy land across Edgewood Ave from the Market in order to build a new market and parking. The current Market was to be upgraded and remain part of the Market. The City Council said it would only approve the expansion if the neighborhood agreed of the changes. The key part of the upgrade was to add parking underneath the downtown connector. Community members fought against the expansion because it would possibly destroy the Herndon Building.

Racism at the Market

Tenant makeup and race became a major issue among the Market. Black tenants became more and more outspoken about racism in the Market. Former Mayor, Bill Campbell, councilman at the time, said he was concerned as were shoppers. By 1988, a task force had been developed in order to investigate the instances of racism. Black shop owners were often regulated to the basement where complaints of smells, blood in the hallways from above, and other physical issues were large complaints. Other complaints were that the white and Asian merchants were treated better, they were allowed more time to pay rent, better marketing and timely repairs.

One tenant, Bayou Sulaimon, attempted to speak out, but he was asked to leave and eventually was evicted. He wrote to the Health and Fire departments, as well as met with city council members. He wrote about rodents, extermination, fire hazards, and water leaking into the basement from upstairs. “It was a mess. This was in the middle of the hallway for three hours and that meant no business for three hours,” Sulaimon referring to bloody water gathering in the hallway from the ceiling above. After seven months of him fighting, the Board of Directors of the Market filed a Dispossessory Action against Sulaimon in 1987. The action claimed that he had not paid rent in seven months and that he had no rental agreement which bound him there. Wayne Bond, attorney for the Market claimed that, “since they have no lease, the management’s policy is that if they don’t like it, they can leave, which he was asked to do.” Other tenants supported Suleiman, claiming that the Market charges indiscriminate amounts for rent. “If their rent’s paid up, what else can it be?” questioned another shop owner Inez Stargell, “This isn’t right.” While the market claimed that he had enough notice before being evicted, Sulaimon claimed otherwise, stating that he was told by another tenant that all his merchandise had been put on the road.

Campbell said without the complaints the city council would never had known there was a problem and worked to change them. The board did retaliate against Suleiman, after the task force found that the entire board should be fired. The goods from the shop, Curio Shop were put out on the streets. Campbell believed the action to be in retaliation before the Board could be fired. he said, “we asked several times that the eviction action be halted because I think a number of us involved with the task force thought that the action was punitive.”

The Sulaimons weren’t the only ones who felt the mew management was inadequate. The management took over in 1974 after the renewal of the lease. The vendors were given surveys at the request of the task force. All the vendors that did them asked for anonymity so that there could not be reprisals.

Leave a comment Posted on 1970

The Largest Soul Food Market Fights Through the 1970s

50th Anniversary and Ending of the Lease


As the Market approached its 50th anniversary and the end of its lease with the city turmoil was spinning. As early as 1971 Mayor Sam Massell had announced the city would not renew the lease. Massell argued that the Market had outlived its usefulness. He claimed that the city should be receiving at least $100,000 a year, but never received any sort of revenue other than business license and taxes from tenants. Massell argued that the sole purpose of the market was to provide a place for farmers to bring their goods to sell, but given the earlier published articles from the time of the opening of the market the purpose was to allow a place for housewives and others to shop for local foods. Sam Massell also argued that there were “no farmers working there today.” He believed that it was unfair to use city funds for the market and those should go towards an airport or library because “more people use such facilities.” He went so far as to say it would make a great location for a transportation depot. The people of the city worked hard to save the market. State Representative E.J. Shepherd called for a meeting of citizens at his restaurant, which was across from the market. He asked residents to pray for the market. Kilpatrick, manager of the Market Association, said that he had the support of 43 tenants to undertake raising the $100,000 needed to update the Market. Massell changed his mind in Feburary of 1973, recommending that the there be a 10 year lease, he said “First, there was an outpouring of sentiment on the part of Atlantans generally that the market be continued. Second, I am convinced that with proper management and promotion, the market can become a public attraction in the manner of Underground Atlanta. Several other cities across the country have successfully developed and promoted their old public markets in this manner.” Under the proposed agreement there would be a Municipal Company with a Board that would run the whole Market.

Rats and the USDA


The first article to mention the state of the health and safety of the market was in reference to renewing the lease. Massell claimed that there were large rats in the basement, the same basement that housed the Black tenants. In 1974, a year after the lease was renewed, the USDA ordered for the market to close. The U.S. government blamed the market’s issues on widespread rat infestation. According to the lawsuit, investigators found “rodent defilement of food.” They further claimed numerous live rats and mice as well as raw sewage that overflowed on the floor.

Board members of the market felt that the US was going to far. They claimed that there was a million dollar renovation plan to be signed a week after the notice. Further some felt that, while yes, there was a problem, it was being fixed before the USDA signed the notice. The FDA asked for an injunction for the Market to close until the problem was eliminated and the area was made suitable for storage and sale of food.

Andrew Young, Congressman at the time, vowed to keep the Market alive. Young said of the market, “this market has been an institution in this community for so long. I shop here for meats and fish and vegetables.” Many felt that the FDA was motivated by political pressure to move quickly on the court order. According to Jackson, there were rumors that a member of the board wanted the Market closed so he could build his own.

A study was completed by Georgia State regarding the viability of the Market, but this was never released and the officials in charge of the study were told to never reveal the contents. Instead a board of directors was appointed. Mayor Maynard Jackson gave the option of a million dollar loan with a ten year lease if 75% of the market tenants signed said lease. Many signed the lease but were worried about the higher rent prices. Many tenants felt as though they had nowhere else to go.

With five Atlanta banks chipping in the market was able to stay open and renovate the Market. This included air conditioning, new plumbing, new electrical wiring, 8,000 square feet in the basement for retail, a new roof, refinishing the interior, and new food storage methods, as well as additional parking. The upgrades came with renewed interest in serving the community and a nomination to become a historical landmark. Bill Moss, the Market’s manager said, “we are going to make our living with the downtown people. We would like people to buy exotic foods here but the people we depend on are the people who live in this community.” At the time of the lease renewals and updates the Market produced more sales volume per square foot than Lenox Mall.

Leave a comment Posted on 1950, 1960

White Flight: 1950s/1960s

White Flight and the Demise of the Municipal Market

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Market started to lose the housewives that frequented it. As suburbia grew, so did the need for stores located outside of the city. City officials began to complain that most the visitors to the market were low income and Black, especially after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Another devastating blow was the development of the interstate system, which went directly through Auburn Ave, cutting off traffic to the Market. By the early 1970s, rumors flew that the market would close. An article from the 90s, admitted many of the problems the Market faced was due to decisions made by the city during these decades.

 

Leave a comment Posted on 1930, 1940

The Great Depression and World War II

What Happened Here



Although the Market does not have articles on the wall for the 1930s, a search shows that the hardship, which started in the 1920s, lasted through the Great Depression. In February 1930, the Market owed Georgia Power $9,836 in back electric bills. One exciting event did occur, the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Market! The Market was still the largest retailer for Georgia products. During the 1940s, the Market was used as a bomb shelter as well as a Red Cross location. In 1947, there was a major flood in Atlanta that effected Auburn Ave.

Leave a comment Posted on 1910, 1920

The Beginning Of The Municipal Market (A Place for Housewives)- 1917-1930

The Great Fire of 1917


The Municipal Market started as farmer’s market on the land left over from the second major Atlanta fire. The Great Fire of 1917 was near the current Old Fourth Ward, a historically Black neighborhood. It destroyed over 2,000 homes and businesses in only a few hours, luckily only one fatality was reported.

Atlanta Woman’s Club Fights For A Market


In 1923, the Atlanta Woman’s Club started a campaign to build the Municipal Market. The building was designed by A. Ten Eyck Brown. It was designed to be simple and durable, yet fireproof. James Key said, “These women understand better than anybody else the real need of this market.” The Cornerstone was laid on January 15, 1924. It was inscribed as, “This building bears the testimony to the unselfish public service of the Atlanta Woman’s Club and is a glorious achievement to the work and wisdom of the Woman’s Club, Deryl H. Sharp, chairman market committee. Atlanta public market, dedicated to the service of all the people and to the encouragement of agriculture has been erected under the authority of the mayor and general council of 1922 by the Municipal Market company.” The committee that helped to create the Market believed that there needed to be unity in the city and the country. Walter Sims said that the, “interest of the country and the city are so interwoven these days we can not have a successful nation if these interests are separated.”

The Greatness of the New Market

Housewives were the target clientele for the Market and they were excited for the grand opening, which was held May 3rd, 1924. It was a huge event. An article said that “the Atlanta housewife a place where she may go…” At the time of the opening, 3/4th of the space was devoted to truck farmers. For the next few years, the Municipal Market was the place to shop. 93% of the items sold at the market were Georgia raised. Quickly, the excitement faded. By 1927, the city was already developing better ways to use the space. Charles M. Ford, an alderman complained that the market was costly and did not serve its purpose, he proposed the market be converted to a jail.