A new farmers market and food truck court is officially underway at the Raleigh Springs Civic Center, marking the next phase of development at the reimagined former mall site in Memphis.
City leaders broke ground on Tuesday, Dec. 9, on the space located behind the Raleigh Branch Library. Construction on the project is expected to take four to six months.
The effort has been years in the making. Ronald Meredith, of the Raleigh Community Development Corporation, said the market has operated at several temporary locations — most recently at Breath of Life Christian Center — while long-term plans came together.
“It was a six-year process,” Meredith said. “It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of moving parts.”
Community-Driven Development
The new market, located at 3384 Austin Peay Highway, is a partnership between the City’s Division of Housing & Community Development and the Raleigh CDC. The space is planned to connect directly to the library’s outdoor amphitheater and will be the first nonprofit use added to the 65-acre civic center campus since it opened in 2020.
That campus already includes a Memphis Police precinct, city maintenance facilities, walking trails, a skate park, and the library — part of a $45 million city investment.
“This is a significant move forward for the entire project,” said City Councilwoman Rhonda Logan, who represents the district. “We’re now moving into nonprofit and community involvement, local development — the next phase of bringing this project to completion.”
A Redevelopment Years in the Making
The transformation of the former Raleigh Springs Mall began more than a decade ago under former Mayor A C Wharton and advanced during the Jim Strickland administration. Mayor Paul Young, who oversaw Housing & Community Development during earlier phases, reflected on the site’s evolution.
“This site was once a vibrant mall — a crossroads for families,” Young said. “Since the civic center opened, we’ve seen tremendous investment along the Austin Peay corridor. This redevelopment has made a difference.”
Development momentum has been supported by a tax increment financing (TIF) district and new private businesses opening around the property. The area was once one of Memphis’s busiest retail hubs, home to the city’s second mall in the 1960s.
Market Vision and Community Impact
Meredith said the new farmers market will continue working with small farmers while also engaging larger growers. Plans include offering workshops on farming practices, organic certification, crop planning, and healthy eating.
“We want to provide classes that help people understand how to eat better and even how to become farmers themselves,” he said.
He also hopes the broader development effort will eventually bring a sit-down restaurant back to the area — a longtime goal for Raleigh residents.
Logan said the groundbreaking represents more than construction.
“It is the start of a movement for our community,” she said. “A promise that Raleigh is worthy of investment — that our neighborhoods can build, create, and thrive together.”
