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Frenchman's Market Moves Into New Digs

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By JAN HOLLINGSWORTH, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2007

PLANT CITY - Less than 18 months after Frenchman's Market lost two-thirds of its space to the Church of Scientology, the downtown historical district's premiere flea market is on the move and on the rise.

On Thursday, the popular antique and collectibles store will re-open its doors at 102 S. Evers St., not far from its original location at Collins and Drane streets.

The Evers Street storefront is nearly twice as large as the space Frenchman's has occupied since last year, when the church purchased the largest of three connected buildings that contained the sprawling flea market. The move allows many of Frenchman's old tenants, squeezed out by the downsizing, to return.

'I am happy for them that they are in a larger space and they can be together again,' said Gail Ogden, a partner in Antiques & Treasures on Collins Street.

About 50 vendors will be moving into the Evers Street shop, which also will offer an area for consignments, said Diane Hunter, of Hawthorne Management, which owns both buildings.

More than 20 are coming over from the downsized version of Frenchman's Market that has been operating with about 2,500 square feet of space on Drane Street. That building is available for sale or lease.

Another 10 or so are old Frenchman's vendors that are returning and will rent space in the new storefront. The rest, said Hunter, 'are brand new.'

Ed Hampson, vice president of the downtown merchants' association and owner of Pieces of Olde on Reynolds Street, said the re-expansion of Frenchman's will help draw downtown shoppers and also give the vendors who lost space in the downsizing room to display their wares.

'It's good for all of us,' he said.

Antiques & More, however, will be losing some square footage. That store, displaced by the new Frenchman's Market, has moved across the street from 102 S. Evers to smaller digs at 105 S. Evers.

Reporter Jan Hollingsworth can be reached at (813) 865-4436 or jhollingsworth@tampatrib.com.

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