Revitalization has been a key concept for downtown Cuyahoga Falls since Front Street was reopened to traffic two years ago. New shopfronts opened up immediately, such as Pav’s Creamery and Reverie, while even more business are set to open soon, like the Gourmet Popper Cafe and The Workz. Among everything happening downtown though, nothing says revitalization more than the Jenks Building—a 1929 building that once held an auto parts shop—and the work Michael Owen and fellow artists and innovators are doing to update it.
Last week marked the first of many small farmers markets held outside the Jenks Building, introducing Shulia’s Market as one of many future vendors in what will become a gallery and theater space.
“Our goal here is to bring local produce and just get the community together, especially through these hard times that’s kind of been a little bit separating people,” explained Julia Fowty, who runs the market with Shawn Cook. “We just really want to get local vendors involved and we want to bring a lot of local stuff and support small businesses.”
Unlike previous years, when the city held its own market across the street from the Jenks building at High Bridge Glens, the public was unable to shop for locally made and grown goods and produce this year due to the cancellation of all public events by the city in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Currently the scale of Shulia’s Market is much smaller and allows for social distancing outside, while also allowing the public to support local vendors like Sandybottom Bowls, an Akron Açai smoothie bowl vendor, which served shoppers from its food truck parked alongside the building’s garage.
“This is the building that the third little pig built. This thing is just rock solid,” Owen said. “It’s been a functioning building everyday, so you don’t have to completely revive this thing. It’s a really cool old building.”
Having done non-profit art for over 30 years, Owen has a growing number of ideas for the multi-faceted building. Currently, there are four artists in residency at the Jenks Building, and opportunities for local artists and vendors are still available. At the same time, Owen sees the space as possibly hosting a small department store, a bookshop, and more.
Shulia’s Market will be open again outside the Jenks Building this Saturday, September 12th, from 9am-1pm.
