City approves new location for Tuesday Farmers’ Market in downtown

The Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market has found a new home for its Tuesday afternoon markets.

City commissioners at their meeting Tuesday night unanimously agreed to allow the market to use the same city-owned parking lot that currently hosts the popular Saturday Farmers’ Market. The lot is in the 800 block of Rhode Island Street, although it also can be accessed from New Hampshire Street.

Commissioners heard concerns from some downtown businesses that the Tuesday afternoon market, which will take just under 20 spaces in the parking lot, may create a parking crunch in the area.

But commissioners said they had seen evidence the lot could handle the extra use on a one-day-per week basis during the farmers’ market season.

Commissioners, though, did direct staff members to ask officials at US Bank if public parking could be allowed on Tuesdays in a little-used bank-owned parking lot at the northwest corner of Ninth and Rhode Island. The bank previously had expressed an interest in helping the farmers’ market.