Eastland open-air market ordered to close after lease expiration and vendor arrest

CHARLOTTE — Dozens of open-air market vendors and supporters with signs protested outside of the Government Center in uptown Charlotte night Monday over the city’s ordering of the market to close last Friday.

[PAST COVERAGE: New market opens Saturday on Eastland mall site]

City leaders say they are not trying to be cold hearted. Redevelopment will start soon on the 69-acre site and Channel 9 has learned there was numerous legal issues.

The city has installed barriers at Eastland, blocking part of the land that used to hold the open-air market. The market was ordered to close Friday, prompting worries about the future.

“A lot of people, that is their only income,” vendor Noriel Suira said. “The only thing we are asking from the city is, work with us.”

The city did not renew the open air market’s lease last September.

[PAST COVERAGE: As Eastland development approaches, open-air market lease set to expire]

The city says it continued to operate anyway.

There have been recent legal issues. According to an email sent to Charlotte city councilmembers, one of the vendors was traveling to Charlotte from another state to sell guns out of his vehicle. The email claims he had no permits to sell the firearms and was not collecting proper information for the gun sales. CMPD says they arrested the man, Ahmet Erkek, of Columbia, South Carolina. The guns were confiscated, the email to the council read.

“As the license had expired for the market operator, the city could have been liable for the actions of the vendors or patrons,” an email to the Charlotte City Council read.

The health department also says food trucks were selling food without proper licenses, according to the email to city leaders.

The vendors outside the Government Center said they vow to work with the city following whatever guidelines and paying whatever is necessary.

“We are part of the community of Charlotte,” vendor Jorge Castaneda said. “We are citizens. We have needs like everyone else. We have to supply something for our families.”

The city says they don’t have any land they can provide for another market. As for Eastland, the city says fences will be going up on the property soon. StarMed will have to stop giving out tests and vaccines on the site. The skatepark is closing on March 3.

(Watch the video below: Eastland groundbreaking set for early 2022, city leadership says)

Eastland groundbreaking set for early 2022, city leadership says

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