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Breaking News: Green City Market Buys Building For Permanent Home
- Bob Benenson
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Long-Discussed Project Will Give Flagship Market First Year-Round Indoor Space
Green City Market has been an innovator and linchpin for Chicago's now-bustling farmers market community since its founding in 1999. And its purchase of a North Side building as its first permanent home, officially announced today (January 9), is its latest big step, as it will provide a year-round indoor farmers market setting long desired by many in Chicago's local food community.
The building is located at 2457 West Montrose Avenue in the North Center community and very near the Lincoln Square neighborhood. It will form a food triangle with an Aldi supermarket just to its west and the popular old-school Lutz Bakery directly across Montrose Avenue.
The new space will not affect Green City's spring-through-fall outdoor markets, which will continue at its Lincoln Park flagship location and its satellite market in the West Loop neighborhood.
I conducted an interview this morning with Letisha (Tish) Steele, who has made a strong impression on our local food community since she arrived from Denver last June — where she headed Denver Food Rescue — to become Green City Market's executive director. An recap of the full interview will be published on Saturday.
Tish noted that the building purchase fulfills a goal first stated by Green City Market founder Abby Mandel shortly before her death in 2008, and is funded by a trust that she established for this purpose. The buildout is just getting under way, and plenty of details — including how many days a week the space will be open and how vendor sales will be conducted — remain under discussion.
But as the press release below details, planned uses "include winter and shoulder-season farmers markets, educational programming for youth and adults, and space to support farmer and food producer infrastructure." Chef demos, once a frequent feature of Green City's Lincoln Park Market, will almost certainly be part of the programming.
As someone who has long felt that the lack of a permanent indoor farmers market location was one of the few lacks in the city's local food scene, I am pleased to share this news and will be reporting on the project's progress.
In the meantime, Green City's weekly indoor winter market — located in the Rockwell on the River complex in the Avondale neighborhood (3057 N. Rockwell St.) — resumes Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. after a two-week holiday break.
Green City Market press release
Green City Market Purchases Building at 2457 W. Montrose Avenue
Chicago, IL — January 2026 — Green City Market has purchased a building at 2457 W.
Montrose Avenue, marking a major step toward establishing a permanent, year-round home for the organization.
The Montrose space will allow Green City Market to expand programming beyond the outdoor market season and deepen its support for farmers, food access, education, and community connection. Planned uses include winter and shoulder-season farmers markets, educational programming for youth and adults, and space to support farmer and food producer infrastructure.
“This purchase represents a long-term investment in Green City Market’s mission and stability,” said Letisha Steele, Executive Director. “It allows us to support farmers more consistently and serve the community throughout the year.”
The purchase was made possible by a trust established by Green City Market’s founder, Abby Mandel, whose original vision included creating a permanent home for the market.
“Green City Market exists because of Abby Mandel’s vision,” Steele said. “Through her estate, she left a gift with the specific intention of creating a permanent home for the market, and that made this purchase possible. Our role now is to steward that vision in a way that continues to support farmers and the work she cared deeply about.”
Green City Market’s existing operations will continue without interruption. The Lincoln Park and West Loop markets will operate as usual, and the indoor winter market in Avondale will continue through March 2026. The Montrose project is a long-term initiative, and current markets and programs remain central to the organization’s work.
As planning moves forward, Green City Market will engage community members and partners in shaping the future of the space. The organization will also begin a phased planning and fundraising process to support the build-out and long-term use of the Montrose location.
About Green City Market
Founded in 1999, Green City Market is a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports sustainable farmers, increases access to fresh food, and provides education that connects people to where their food comes from.
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