Community Market

Design phase in works for converting existing Temple Feed & Supply into vendor, produce market

Mar 31, 2023

About a year ago, the city of Temple purchased the existing Temple Feed & Supply, and that business will soon relocate to Southeast Loop 363. The Downtown location, which fronts the BNSF railroad tracks, will be converted into a Community Market.

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

The city of Temple has taken the first steps toward creating a new Downtown farmer’s market near Main Street and Avenue C just north of Jupe Feeds and the BNSF railroad tracks.

The city purchased Temple Feed & Supply and its property more than a year ago for $750,000. The 40-year-old feed store is building a new retail and storage facility on Southeast Loop 363 and likely will move into the new facility this fall.

“The Temple Feed & Supply property will become the home to the future Santa Fe Community Market,” said Allison O’Connor, a spokesperson for the city.

“The city of Temple has entered into a contract with KPA Engineers to develop a concept, design, development and construction details for the future market,” O’Connor said.

“The aspects of this contract include data collection, review of the property location and concept design,” she said. “The total cost for the current design project is an estimated $350,000 and it will take about eight months to complete.”

Brynn Myers, Temple’s city manager, said the purchase includes Temple Feed & Supply’s main retail building, plus several outbuildings on the property that are used for feed and farm supply storage.

“This purchase will allow the city to connect the new MLK Festival Grounds with The Yard, Santa Fe Plaza and all the way to Whistle Stop Park & Playground,” Myers said. “Having the uninterrupted flow is a big benefit.”

“The main retail building at Temple Feed & Supply likely will be repurposed and renovated to fit the needs of the Community Market, but some of the other buildings may not be salvageable,” she said.

“We are still in the conceptual design phase of this project.”

According to Community Market renderings provided by Myers, the facility will offer indoor and covered outdoor booths, a new parking lot and a landscaped trail connecting the market with The Yard Food Truck Plaza to the west and the MLK Festival Grounds to the east. There also will be pockets of green space on market property.

While details are still in the works, the facility will be able to host craft and vendor booths, as well as farm-raised produce sales.