1985, Gunn Meyerhoff Shay Architects. St. Julian St., between Franklin and Ellis sqs.
In conjunction with the reclamation of Franklin Square, the City closed a two-block section of St. Julian Street to automobile traffic in 1985 and, in a successful attempt to lure shoppers to return to the downtown, leased the street to a retail management company that calls the outdoor mall “City Market”—invoking the spirit of the lamented market structure in nearby Ellis Square, which was demolished in 1954. The commercial buildings lining this mall date from the 1840s to the early twentieth century. Unlike many conversions of main streets to pedestrian-only spaces in the 1970s, City Market has been highly effective in attracting both locals and tourists to its shops, outdoor cafes, and informal performance spaces.