Union Market Is Experiencing A Renaissance

Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, Union Market was born out of a 2011 fire that consumed the insides of the EDENS retail center nearing completion on the site.

Erected in 1871, Center Market, Union’s predecessor, was demolished in 1931 to clear way for the National Archives buildings, displacing the market's approximately 700 vendors. Center Market contained an ethnically diverse array of purveyors that began congregating between the Capitol and White House in 1801. Two hundred years later, and after a tumultuous history, the poorly maintained and disintegrating industrial buildings at Union Market prompted most of the remaining original merchants to leave for supermarkets and distribution centers.

In 2007, Edens, at the time based in South Carolina, purchased the land, hoping to reinvigorate it with its community-oriented strategy. The owner/operator of 130 shopping centers on the East Coast envisioned a market renaissance, enabled by the wave of affluent potential patrons that have been flocking to DC. Nearby residents’ high household income, culinarily adventurous spirit and taste for all things artisanal represented a lucrative market waiting to be tapped.

The fire ignited a new passion in the Edens team, which is now headquartered in Bethesda. It took a food-first approach, reaching out to a number of internationally renowned chefs and DC-native makers who would emphasize fresh and local in their offerings prepared in the bright, airy space.

With ambitions beyond food, the Edens team turned its focus to placemaking. It wanted food tenants synergistic with its goal of fostering a buzzing community composed of office, retail and attractions like the Angelika Film Center.

"For generations, the area of Union Market has been a gathering place where immigrants and entrepreneurs formed a diverse community centered on food distribution,” Edens says on its website. The market again embodies this ideal while honoring its heritage. Further mixed-use developments are imminent.

A few of the tenants comprising the vibrant market are Harvey’s Market, an 80-year-old family-run butcher shop selling local, sustainable meats, beloved and expanding small-batch handmade gelateria Dolcezza and micro-juicery South Block Juice Co., which makes cold-pressed juices, smoothies and açai bowls.