Eastern Market outlines expansion, food-access losses; council moves several funding items to executive session

Katie Trudeau, president and chief executive officer of the Eastern Market Corporation, told the Detroit City Council on April 1 that the public market is advancing several capital projects and year‑round food access efforts while facing the loss of a state food‑purchase program that supported local growers.

Trudeau said Eastern Market received a $12,000,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture to acquire and renovate a building at 3445 Russell St. into a Shed 7 wholesale distribution center, with construction anticipated to begin in July and permits under review. “We closed on that acquisition in September,” she said.

The market also described plans for a Shed 4 redevelopment, estimated at $15 million to $16 million and scheduled to begin construction in 2027 if fundraising succeeds. Trudeau said the city previously allocated $1.5 million to Shed 4 and that the organization has raised additional private and philanthropic support; she said the project is roughly 60% complete on design and construction documents.

Why it matters: Council members pressed for details about how city funds are being spent and for quicker movement of a $250,000 city allocation intended to support Black urban farmers. Council members and staff expressed urgency because the market has until June 30 to spend that allocation from the prior fiscal year, and a related state program the market relied on for purchasing produce has lost its planned extension.

Key project and program details

- Shed 7: Funded primarily by a $12,000,000 Michigan Department of Agriculture grant and a roughly $1,000,000 Gilbert Family Foundation grant, the project will include dedicated dock and refrigeration space for small urban growers. Trudeau said Eastern Market will also use new markets tax credits toward renovation and plans to start construction in July; permits are under review.

- Food business acceleration: The market completed the Metro accelerator at 1521 Adelaide in 2024, which now supports five food businesses and two retail tenants through a programming partnership with TechTown Detroit. Trudeau described additional accelerator projects under due diligence: a Grain Mill/Green Mill accelerator (in partnership with long‑standing farmer Hampshire Farms) and a meat accelerator backed by a $2,850,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocation that would house multiple suites sharing a USDA inspector.

- Shed 4: Trudeau described a two‑story redevelopment that would add year‑round vendor stalls, three kitchens (including food incubation and nutrition education space) and additional earned‑revenue capacity. She said the city had allocated $1.5 million for the project and that Eastern Market has raised additional philanthropic support and submitted a $5 million federal earmark request.

- Food access: Eastern Market participates in the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) program, administered by the state using USDA funds. Trudeau said about 60% of 2024 LFPA purchases went to 16 Black‑owned urban farms in Detroit and that the program also supplied about 1,000 boxed produce deliveries per week to nonprofit partners. She said the state eliminated the planned extension of the LFPA program; Eastern Market reported approximately $600,000 remaining that it hopes to spend in 2025 and is seeking a no‑cost extension to finish using those funds.

Council questions and follow‑ups

Council members repeatedly pressed for clarity and progress reports. Council Member Callaway reminded presenters that the council allocated $250,000 for Black farmer support last year and asked why the funds remained unspent. Trudeau said the market has encountered legal and procurement constraints in spending public dollars on private enterprises and is working with the city’s law department, budget staff and the director of sustainability, Farah Rushton, to design a program that satisfies city requirements. “We have through June 30 to spend those dollars,” Trudeau said.

Council Member Callaway asked for a written progress report and for city staff to help resolve legal obstacles. Council Member Whitaker (staff) said he needed to know the legal impediments the law department was asserting and suggested similar mechanisms already used by other city programs might apply. Trudeau said she could send a written update later the same day.

Council actions taken (voice votes; “hearing no objections” recorded)

- Motion to add the previously allocated $250,000 for Black farmer support to the executive session (to discuss its status) — motion approved (hearing no objections). (Action recorded as placing the $250,000 matter into executive session.)

- Motion to add an additional $250,000 for Black farmer support (a second allocation for fiscal 2025–26) into executive session — motion approved (hearing no objections). The council clerk noted this results in $500,000 effectively being placed into executive session for discussion.

- Motion by Council Member Santiago Romero to add a proposed partnership between Eastern Market and the Green Grocer program to the closing resolution (for executive session discussion later) — motion approved (hearing no objections).

- Motion by Council Member Durham to put restoration of $200,000 (of the previously approved $250,000) to core operations, vendor programs and equity initiatives for Eastern Market into executive session — motion approved (hearing no objections).

- Motion to place Eastern Market’s original Shed 4 capital request into executive session for further discussion — motion approved (hearing no objections).

- Motion to place a proposal for sidewalks in the Eastern Market area into executive session — motion approved (hearing no objections).

- Motion by Council Member Callaway to add the Ulysses and Julia S. Grant House (a historic structure located on Eastern Market property) to the closing resolution and to executive session for further discussion — motion approved (hearing no objections).

Trudeau said she would follow up in writing on several points council members requested, including: (1) a progress report on the $250,000 allocation for Black farmers and the legal constraints Eastern Market has encountered; (2) status of the LFPA funds and any possible no‑cost extension to allow the market to spend the remaining approximately $600,000 in 2025; and (3) details about the Ulysses and Julia S. Grant House, including the state funding she believes is available and the structure’s current condition.

Other operational notes

Trudeau said Eastern Market’s 2024 highlights include serving more than 2 million annual visitors, more than 150 small businesses in its Saturday and summer markets, $360 million in annual wholesale food sales and 1,300 permanent employees in market businesses. She cited capital work completed on campus — vehicles, painting, concrete and window repairs, boiler replacement, lot striping — and said the organization has launched a $15.5 million fundraising campaign and has raised $10.5 million to date.

What’s next: Council members directed staff and market leadership to pursue written follow‑ups and, where appropriate, scheduled executive‑session discussion on the items the council placed into the closing resolution. Trudeau committed to providing requested follow‑up documentation to the council in writing.