Changes at Eastern Market

For those who have never been, a trip to Detroit's Eastern Market is an experience well worth your time. Eastern Market is a farmer's market, where you can buy oodles of fresh produce, honey, eggs, live chickens and the like.

But it is so much more than a place to buy groceries. It's huge, it's bustling and it's cheap. It's estimated that 70,000 tons a year of fresh produce are moved through the market's decaying sheds.

People watching, chatting with farmers and watching Dr. Naj argue about the price of tomatoes are just some of the highlights.

Like most of Detroit, however, the market clearly needs some sprucing up. That's why this Free Press story is cause for optimism.

It seems the City Council has created a new non-profit corporation that will manage the market and oversee $17 million in improvements. The money will come from private sector donations, including $2 million from the Kresge Foundation. The Kresge family, as some readers may know, started K-Mart.

"The new nonprofit corporation has a $17-million plan to improve the market, including having the sheds open two days a week instead of one, and eventually having them open all week."

The sheds, which are basically large picnic pavilions, will be renovated, whatever that means. I'm always cautious when I hear about all the great things the Detroit City Council promises to do, but improving one of Detroit's best assets would be a smart move. Keep your fingers crossed on this one.