GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Office of Property Management
Office of Contracting and Procurement

For Release: Friday, August 1, 2008

Contacts: Bill Rice, OPM, 202-437-7787; Briant Coleman, OCP, 202-409-0183

District Issues RFP for Eastern Market Manager

The District of Columbia has released a Request for Proposals for the management of the Eastern Market, the 135-year-old national historic landmark on Capitol Hill.  The Market Manager will be responsible for the coordinated day-to-day administration and development of the Market, now being rehabilitated by the D.C. Office of Property Management (OPM) following a devastating fire in April, 2007.

“OPM wants to make sure that Eastern Market grows and prospers,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, acting director of OPM.  “We want the management team to help make Eastern Market the best public market in the country.”

The RFP for the management of Eastern Market has been in development for the past several months, with assistance from David O’Neil, a nationally recognized authority on public markets. The RFP also reflects extensive review by the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC), the official avenue for local input into the Market.

“We are delighted that OPM is moving forward with this RFP,” said Donna Scheeder, chair of EMCAC.  “We’re confident that the management selected through this RFP will retain the Market’s character while it develops new opportunities for merchants, shoppers and the community.”

Eastern Market has been continuously used as a public food market since 1873. After last year’s fire, the displaced merchants were relocated to the new East Hall while the Market was rehabilitated.  Today, the Market, on 7th Street, SE, between C Street and North Carolina Avenue on Capitol Hill, is the only public market in the District that has retained its original function as a thriving marketplace, featuring a broad array of food merchants, farmers and growers, joined on weekends by artisans, antiques dealers and other specialty vendors.  Art shows, music and theatre performances, and craft sales complement the food vending.  All of these activities make Eastern Market popular with local residents, visitors and shoppers from the entire metropolitan area.

The full RFP (DCAM-2008-R-1010) is posted on the Office of Contracting and Procurement website, at www.ocp.dc.gov (under Business Opportunities), and on OPM’s website, at www.opm.dc.gov.  A pre-proposal conference for potential offerors will be held on August 14, 2008 at Eastern Market.  The closing date for submission of proposals is September 16, 2008, 2 pm.

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