Pike Place Market History

Pike Place Market was founded in 1907 as a city-sponsored experiment to help local farmers sell their produce directly to consumers, cutting out the middleman and avoiding inflated prices. Soon, more stalls and permanent structures were built to meet the growing needs of the consumers and farmers. The size of the stalls was kept small and sales were limited to food and food products raised or produced by the seller.
The market continued to grow and attract shoppers through the 1930s. After WWII, technological advances in farming and transport changed the local farming economy that led to a period of decline for the market. The number of shoppers dropped sharply with suburbanization and the rise of supermarkets. The market deteriorated, but its location at the western edge of downtown Seattle made it an attractive piece of real estate.
In 1964 a citizens group called Friends of the Market planned to save Pike Place from redevelopment. The city made plans for the Pike Place Project that would include a 1.7-acre market in the middle of a 22-acre project. Market supporters and activists campaigned to save the market and put an initiative on the ballot. In November 1971, an initiative was passed that overturned an urban renewal plan and set aside a 7-acre Historical District.
Pike Place Market is now the center of a strong community that provides homes for nearly 500 residents. It also provides social services including a medical clinic, childcare, a pre-school, a food bank, and a senior center. The area is now under the management of the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority.