Although few details have been released yet, a marketplace called ‘Halsey Market’ is reportedly planned for the ground floor of the restored former department store, according to Express Newark Co-Director Anne Schaper Englot, who told attendees at the Newark Military Park Historic District Walking Tour that it could be similar to a Chelsea Market concept.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hahne & Company Building developer L+M Development Partners of Westchester County, New York told Jersey Digs that “we are considering several options for the remainder of the ground floor space at Hahne’s, including a market concept with vendor stalls,” adding that “we are still in the early stages of talking to potential partners and look forward to updating the community when we have more information to share.”

The Halsey Market would join the 160 apartments, parking garage, Express Newark arts and cultural incubator, Rutgers University-Newark’s Barnes and Noble bookstore, Whole Foods Market, and upcoming CityMD, Petco, restaurant, and City National Bank headquarters in the building, which has entrances at 50 Halsey Street and 609 Broad Street.

The area that it is located was once a food desert due to the lack of fresh food stores in the neighborhood, prompting many local residents to travel to markets in suburban communities. Now, with a Whole Foods Market location inside the building that opened in March, recently completed Save-A-Lot and ShopRite supermarkets along nearby Springfield Avenue, Food Depot on 1st Street, and an Italian marketplace planned for Teachers Village, access to a variety of cuisines is becoming easier for Newarkers.