The project calls for salvaging and adaptively reusing the existing East Market Building, reopening Lexington Street for pedestrians, and building a new 63,000 sq. ft. market building on the south parking lot that is a modern interpretation of one of the original 1900s market sheds. The new design will include approximately 40-50 market merchants, many of which are brand new companies that the project will help to incubate and launch. Phase I of the Lexington Market redevelopment project provides for the construction of a new market building for Baltimore’s iconic Lexington Market, the oldest continuously operating markets in the country. (A later phase will allow for the reuse and reprogramming for the existing market building.) Without the existence of Lexington Market, this part of Baltimore would be considered a USDA-designated Food Desert.