Indoor space, plaza-like feel: Overland Park’s farmers market is getting a makeover

Farmers market lovers in the Johnson County area will soon have a renewed space to buy their veggies, sip their coffee and stroll around with friends – the Overland Park Farmers’ Market is getting a major update.

After years of discussions, the city of Overland Park is moving forward with its plan to transform the market on 7950 Marty St. into a larger, plaza-style market. The exact blueprints, however, have yet to be finalized.

Private developer Copaken Brooks, selected by the Overland Park City Council in April after an evaluation process, has created concept plans of the open air market that include an indoor pavilion and extra parking and vendor space.

The renovations seek to expand the area, making use of a lot purchased next to the market at 7910 Marty St.

While the Farmers Market Improvement Project is still in its planning phase, the city hopes to bring year-round community events. Construction is projected to begin in 2024 or later.

‘Outgrowing the space’

Meg Ralph, communications and media relations manager with the city of Overland Park, said the vision has been in the works long before the city began to engage with developers.

The market has always been a beloved staple of the city, but Ralph said the city believes it’s time for an update. Built in 1991, the outdoor pavilion area became increasingly crowded each year.

“We’re outgrowing the space,” she said. “There’s additional services that the city sees that we could provide to market shoppers and vendors.”

From 2017 on, the city began exploring plans and allocating funds for the market’s redesign. By last fall, the city gave residents a chance to share their hopes for the market.

In February, City Council approved an agreement for the development team to refine the current plan, allocate costs and identify financing options. Ralph said tax incentives have yet to be decided upon.

The project team will meet about the plan’s new developments sometime this summer, Ralph said.

Green space, indoor area and food trucks

As the project stands now, the expanded market will include a green space, over 80 vendor stalls and room for food trucks. The plan incorporates feedback from residents voiced over the community engagement period, which included concerns over traffic flow, parking area and the seasonal nature of the market.

Ralph said the partially indoor concept could allow vendors to sell to residents during the chilly months.

“We have some vendors that would like to sell and we certainly have shoppers that we’d like to buy from the vendors, but we really can’t provide that when it’s 5 degrees outside,” Ralph said. “A covered parking lot doesn’t have a lot of the utilities that we would like to go with moving forward.”

It’s unclear whether construction will disrupt the farmers market season, and if so, where it would move to while the project is being completed.

Ralph said the idea of reimagining the market has excited many residents and caused them to be involved in the visioning process. The farmers market has been a central piece to life in Overland Park since its inception, Ralph said, bringing at least 10,000 attendees downtown during warm summer weekends.

She hopes the excitement surrounding the market will continue with the updated space.

“It’s one of the most lively events we have downtown,” Ralph said.