A new food market is planned for two buildings Downtown, and the team behind it hopes to give the area around it a new name.
The Memphis Public Market is planned for the northwest corner of Madison and B.B. King. The two now-vacant buildings are Leader Federal Building at 158 Madison and the adjacent Hill Building at 164 Madison.
Transactions for both were recently completed by a new nonprofit organization, HiFi Memphis, a group established by the development team behind the restoration of the historic Sterick Building.
The plan will fill the buildings with vendor spaces for farmers, grocers, butchers, bakers, prepared food operators, artisans and specialty retailers. It will also have business incubation programs, workforce development initiatives, and shared infrastructure designed to help local food businesses launch and grow.
“We’re going to transform two blighted historic structures in the core of our Downtown and establish a destination that draws people from across the region,” said Stuart Harris, principal with Constellation Properties and a HiFi Memphis board member.
The HiFi Memphis team hopes to brand the area around the Sterick and the Memphis Public Market as the HiFi District. That plan “centers on vibrant streets and alleys, thriving local businesses, and strong civic infrastructure, both in the built environment and in the resources available to residents.”
The market is envisioned as a year-round platform for local growers, helping expand access to healthy local food, reducing food insecurity while supporting the small agricultural businesses that contribute to the Mid-South economy.
“Strong local food systems start with farmers who cultivate more than food — they cultivate culture, economic opportunity, and community,” said Bobby Rich, an owner of Black Seeds Urban Farm. “A vibrant public market creates a place where residents and visitors alike can experience the best of Memphis through its people, products, and local flavors.”
