Several hundred citizens turned out on Monday evening in support of the effort to quickly rebuild Eastern Market, and to share their feelings on a temporary location for the displaced vendors. Mayor Adrian Fenty, At-large council members David Catania and Phil Mendelson, Ward 6 council member Tommy Wells, city administrator Dan Tangherlini, and District 3 School Board member Lisa Raymond turned out to show their support too, as well as to canvass the opinions of Hill residents. Unsurprisingly, people were pretty vocal and passionate about their visions for the market.

Just a week after the tragic fire that gutted the 134 year-old structure, some wounds were still fresh, and tears flowed during the meeting at Hine Jr. High School more than once. Attendees enthusiastically supported the market vendors, most of whom were in attendance. Fittingly, nearly all the attendees backed a plan approved by all of the South Hall vendors that calls for a temporary market to be sited in the parking lot at Hine (where the flea market sets up on the weekend). Far more popular than the options for a temporary market on 7th Street between North Carolina Ave. and C St. SE and the Eastern Market Metro Plaza, the Hines site, according to the vendors, “preserved the market” close to its current space, and would allow the mutual benefit for the 7th street businesses. It would also provide minimal disruption to the weekend vendors, and provide “better parking, loading, and unloading facilities” than the other options. They also noted that the site would “keep the reconstruction progress visible” to vendors and customers alike.