Vendors Rally Outside Charlotte City Council Meeting After City Shut Down Flea Market

CHARLOTTE, N.C. —  Vendors have been scrambling to find a new place to sell their items since the City of Charlotte closed an open-air flea market in east Charlotte.    Monday night, they rallied outside the city council meeting, hoping to share their frustrations with council members.

The market at the old Eastland Mall site had been operating without permission.  A spokesperson with the city told WCCB the city informed the market operator last year that it was ending its lease agreement in the fall to prepare for redevelopment of the mixed-use site and that the vendors would have to find a new location.  When the lease expired in September, the market continued to operate without permission.

One of the vendors, Astrid Jimenez, says they need the city’s help to find a new location. “The vacancy notice was given to the previous lease holder, who failed to notify the vendors, leaving vendors with merchandise that simply can not be stored,” said Jimenez.

A city spokesperson has said there is no suitable city-owned land for the vendors to use.