Columbia Market House will be the scene of much activity during Memorial Day weekend when it reopens its doors to the public.
The building at 15 S. Third St. in the borough closed in December 2017 to undergo $3.5 million in construction and renovation paid for with a combination of state and local funds.
Now, after what seemed like an eternity, the wait is over and a much-anticipated grand opening for the 152-year-old market house will be held Saturday. Free parking is available in the lot next to market building.
âThis market house has a rich history and we are extremely excited to bring it back to its glory, so we have planned an entire weekend of events to celebrate the reopening,â said Kelsey Miller, healthy communities manager at CHI St. Joseph Childrenâs Health, which manages the market. âAnd each event is geared to highlight a different aspect of the market.â
After three years sitting empty, the Columbia Market House will be re-opening next month.
The historic market, which dates back to 1869, will re-open on Saturday, May 29 featuring 19 local vendors and a full-service restaurant, Gypsy Kitchen. We re bringing life back to this building for the community, market manager Kelsey Miller said.
Miller, who doubles as the healthy communities program manager at CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health, will oversee daily operations at the market. CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health and the Columbia Borough have partnered together to breathe new life into the historic site.
Columbia Borough manager Mark Stivers said the market had been vacant since 2017. The current project began picking up steam in summer 2019 and now the grand opening will market the completion of the first phase of the near $3 million project, he said. The second phase will include additional parking for the market house and visitors to downtown Columbia, Stivers said.