Current Conditions
40°F - CLEAR
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And in the 120 years since the city-owned market was built, the heat has gotten worse.
Foods that were chilled on ice decades ago, cooling the market, are now chilled in refrigerated cases that give off heat. Windows in the market roof that once vented rising heat have been closed for decades.
But this might be the last summer that people wilt in the market heat.
By next summer, windows high above the market floor could again be used to let heat escape.
Those windows are slated to be fitted or refitted with top hinges that will allow them to be opened by electronic motors as part of the $7 million renovation plan for the building.
"The idea is to mimic the original chimney effect," said market manager Michael Ervin.
Hot air rises into the market's peaked roof. And originally, a chain and pulley system was used to open the dormer windows some 60 feet above the market floor.
Crosswinds pulled the air out of the roof and drew in air from the large open doors and windows below, Ervin said.
"The people who built this market knew what they were doing," said Jim Zink, owner of the Herb Shop and a member of the executive board of the standholders' association.
Yet, things have changed since 1889.
The market was a tall building when it was constructed. Now, it is surrounded by taller buildings.
Architect Ken Hammel, whose Hammel Associates firm is planning the renovation, said there is no way to know how effective opening the windows will be.
"There is no way to do an engineering model with this," Hammel said.
Air flow will be aided by new ceiling fans which will help to pull hot air up, he said. They will replace existing ceiling fans which are not reversible and can only push air down.
Hammel said his staff found the original hardware had been removed from the dormer windows during a 1972 renovation of market. It had been believed the windows had been sealed shut.
Instead, his staff found that center pivots had been removed and top hinges added. The windows could be opened, although there was no way to easily do so.
Ervin said he hopes to be able to open or close the windows with a push of a button on a remote control after electronic motors are installed next year.
While the changes to the windows had been part of the plan, a more expensive component was rejected a few months ago.
Air chillers, at a cost of $385,000, were to have been installed as part of the upcoming renovation.
Standholders rejected the air chillers by a vote of 30-2, Ervin said.
Some objected to duct work that would have detracted from the aesthetics of the historic building. Some objected to making the market less welcoming by closing the large doors. And others did not want to pay the higher rents required to operate and maintain the system.
Zink was one of those who voted for air conditioning. He is not bothered by the heat, he said, but believes customers are.
"Obviously, this summer has been mild, but when it's 90-degrees-plus, people don't come to market," he said.
Some people have told him so, Zink said.
Wendy Jo Hess, of Wendy Jo's Homemade, said her chocolate chip cookies do get soft on hot days, but the situation is something she can live with.
"It's just one of the things you deal with being in an old building," she said.
Ethel Stoner, whose husband's family has had a produce stand in market since the building opened, said the building needs ventilation.
It gets hot even in winter, she said.
But, there are really only a few days when the heat is oppressive, she said.
"We're going to have a handful of hot days. You know they are going to come," Stoner said.
Fortunately, they haven't come yet.
The renovation is scheduled to start after Jan. 1 and be completed by the end of October, Hammel said.
E-mail: bharris@lnpnews.com
