Supporting vendors, rebuilding the Kitchener Market: City provides recovery update following July fire

The City recognizes the significant impact the July 12 Kitchener Market fire has had on our vendors, their businesses, employees, and families. Today, we are providing an update on the road ahead, and sharing that indoor market operations will likely be impacted for several months while the building undergoes extensive remediation and restoration.

“We know the impact of this fire reaches far beyond the building itself,” said Andrew Sturgess, Director of Business Growth and Entrepreneurship. “Many vendors are dealing with business disruption, lost inventory and uncertainty about the months ahead, and those impacts are being felt by our local businesses and the broader community. The Kitchener Market is more than a building. It supports local businesses, brings people together and is an important part of our community. We understand the seriousness of this situation, and helping the Market recover as quickly as possible is our highest priority.”

Since the fire, City staff have been working with public health officials, insurance representatives, restoration specialists and safety experts to assess the damage and determine the safest path to reopening.

Those assessments confirmed that while the fire was contained to a relatively small area of the building, smoke, soot and other fire-related contaminants spread throughout the facility, including mechanical and ventilation systems. As a result, extensive cleaning, remediation and restoration work is required before indoor operations can safely resume.

“We know this timeline is difficult news for vendors whose businesses depend on the Market,” said Sturgess. “While we can't yet say exactly how long the recovery will take, we know it will be measured in months, not weeks. Our commitment is to keep vendors informed, support them however we can, and move this work forward as quickly and safely as possible.”

Recovery work will include detailed planning and assessments, followed by building remediation, restoration and the reinstallation of vendor spaces and infrastructure. To help keep the project moving forward, vendors have been asked to remove inventory, equipment and other vendor-owned property from the building by August 19.

As the City works with vendors and other partners to develop a roadmap for reopening, Market vendors will not be charged rent during the recovery period.

At the same time, the City continues to support vendors and the community through expanded outdoor market operations and ongoing promotion to help maintain customer awareness and support during the recovery period.

The outdoor Kitchener Market remains open every Saturday, and residents are encouraged to continue supporting local vendors while recovery efforts continue.

For more information: 
Corporate Communications and Marketing
City of Kitchener
Media@kitchener.ca