The St. Roch Market, wrapping up its $3.7-million facelift and just hanging out on St. Claude Avenue waiting for an operator, has apparently sparked the interest of a group called St. Roch Community Partners, Inc. Their plan is to operate the historic space as "an affordable public market for the people of New Orleans" (they swear it won't be an overpriced "gourmet market") with vendor stalls available for lease. So, who are these guys?
· Richard Sutton of St. James Cheese Co.
· Seth Hamstead of Cleaver & Co.
· Graison Gill of Bellegarde Bakery
· Neal Morris of Redmellon Restorations and Developments
Okay, the butcher, cheesemonger, baker, and design side of things are taken care of and SRCP will operate the produce section. Who else do they want to bring in? The biz plan says they're already in talks with a restaurateur for a full-service restaurant in the rear of the market with indoor/outdoor seating. SRCP's plan also calls for coffee, gelato, flowers, sundries, seafood, and wine.
The New Orleans Building Corp. are the ones in charge of approving an operator for the 8,600-square foot market, and rumor has it this is the only proposal submitted so far. The St. Roch Market opened in 1875 as an open-air market and was also a go-to spot for seafood and po-boys. The space flooded after Hurricane Katrina and was a blighted eyesore until construction began in July 2012.
· St. Roch Community Partners business plan [Redmellon]
· St. Roch Market coverage [Curbed NOLA]
· St. Roch Market available for master tenant [Corp. Realty]
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