E. Warren Development Corp. Outlook for 2021 and Beyond
Plans for the former Pizza Hut at 16835 E. Warren Ave., will consist of reactivating the space to serve as a hub for community development and entrepreneurial efforts. Image from Google Street View
We are excited for what's to come in 2021 and beyond to our E. Warren Corridor! As our business ecosystem evolves, so must the ways we incubate business. In 2020, the E. Warren Development Corp. launched the E. Warren Farmers Market. Over the course of eight weeks, 70+ vendors participated and through your generous support of our community entrepreneurs, $25,0000 in revenue was generated. We were also blessed with the invitation to host the market at the future site of “The Ribbon," formerly the Charter One Bank site. Once the site begins redevelopment in 2021, the market will need to identify a new location along East Warren. As new developments like the Ribbon begin to undergo construction, we knew we needed to secure a space where the E. Warren Development Corp can support budding local entrepreneurs.
I am excited to announce that the E. Warren Farmers Market will return to a familiar space! The same location as the E. Warren Farmers Market from years past. The E. Warren Development Corp. purchased 16835 E Warren (the former Pizza Hut) in late Fall 2020. The 2021 market season will kick off in May, and officially re-open use of the outdoor space at this location. The building is in need of repairs and modifications to accommodate future use and won’t be open for use until a concrete plan is in place. I am hopeful we will have this building up & running to support local community business incubation in 2022 or 2023.
E. Warren Development Corp. envisions this space as a business incubation hub. We intend to install a community kitchen, pop up storefronts and storage space for local chefs to safely grow their businesses. We plan to transform the parking lot into a public commons where there can be year-round activity and act as a space where our community can come together in an open air environment, which has become all the more critical during this pandemic.
As the vision for this space evolves, the E. Warren Development Corp. pledges to engage the community in the design process using the weekly market, community clean-ups, community meetings, and door-to-door engagement as a means to influence the design and development process of this building. Community engagement for the design process will begin in Spring 2021 with the intention to present design ideas in Fall 2021.
I welcome any questions or comments you may have as the design process approaches, and after it's kicked off. Please send me an email at Joe@ewarren.org. We want this to be an inclusive space that will help incubate local businesses and entrepreneurs. We look forward to discussing future details with you.