'Nice thing for the community': Redeveloped Lexington Market starts new chapter in Baltimore

BALTIMORE -- It's the start of a new chapter for Lexington Market. 

After years of construction, the market's new building had its grand opening Tuesday.

City and state leaders held a ribbon cutting in celebration, noting projects like this not only help the city, but the state as a whole.

The market has served Baltimore for more than 230 years, tracing its origins to 1782. You can still see the vendor numbers etched into the curbs on West Lexington Street.  

It has gone through a number of transformations since, but the community will now see the biggest revitalization yet.

The transformation includes a new 61,000-square-foot market building. Its A-frame roof is a nod to what the market looked like in the early 1900s. The institution sent off its East Market building with a celebration last year. 

For five years, Robin Holmes has been running Deddle's Donuts out of her personal car and a food truck. 

But now, she's running it out of Lexington Market, a place she's been visiting since she was young.

She calls it a full-circle moment.

"I just wanted to be a part of all the hustle and bustle," Holmes said. "Lexington Market was a meeting place and a gathering place for family and friends."

All day Tuesday, long lines crept along all the different vendors. 

With newbies like Deddle's Donuts, and classic vendors like Connie's Chicken and Waffles, there were lots of options to get a full stomach.

Overall, the market's new building can house over 50 businesses. 

Right now, half are Black-owned, and half are women-owned as well.

Mayor Brandon Scott said that was intentional, wanting this $45 million investment to help all kinds of Baltimoreans get into business.

"This is what progress for everyone together looks like, this is what equitable investment and development looks like, this is what driving economic growth downtown looks like," Scott said.

$10 million for the project came from the state. 

Gov. Wes Moore campaigned on improving Maryland's economy. 

He said investing in projects like this make that possible.

"This is about how can you grow an economy, but also making sure that we're both growing and also being more competitive. Doing things like closing the wealth gap," Moore said. "That's what this symbolizes."

Lindsay Lane, Lauren Dembo and Ian Boyd came to the market on their break in-between classes. 

Lane hadn't been to the market since she was a kid, and Dembo said she's been keeping tabs on the new market's progress from the beginning.

"I have watched the whole process, I live next door," Dembo said.

Lane said she'd like to see more projects like this in the city.

"It's a nice thing for the community, I think more places could be redone in this way," she said.

Lexington Market's new building also has some public and private event spaces. There are already events planned at the new building in celebration of Black History Month, you can see a full list here.

Tuesday is a big day at the country's longest-running public market. 

After a highly anticipated $40 million redevelopment, Lexington Market will have its grand opening Tuesday morning. 

Gov. Wes Moore is set to appear and speak at the official ribbon-cutting at 11:30 a.m.

The market has served Baltimore for more than 230 years, tracing its origins to 1782. You can still see the vendor numbers etched into the curbs on West Lexington Street.  

It has gone through a number of transformations since, but the community will now see the biggest revitalization yet.

The transformation includes a new 61,000-square-foot market building. Its A-frame roof is a nod to what the market looked like in the early 1900s. The institution sent off its East Market building with a celebration last year.