South Water Market, historic produce market in the Lower West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois
South Water Market is a complex of six buildings in Chicago, erected in 1925 in the Classical Revival style. The site has wide internal streets, raised loading platforms, and large canopies designed to handle the wholesale movement of fresh produce.
The complex was built to replace the old markets along South Water Street, which were causing traffic jams and sanitation problems in the city. Their removal was part of the Plan of Chicago, which cleared the riverfront and made way for Wacker Drive.
The name South Water Market comes from South Water Street, the original location of the produce trade before the move. Today the buildings still show the wide canopies and loading platforms that made this kind of wholesale work possible.
The complex sits close to the University of Illinois at Chicago campus and is easy to reach by public transit or car. The site covers a large area, so it helps to set aside some time to walk around the full perimeter.
Even though the site was designed as a modern replacement for an older market, serious congestion problems appeared within just a couple of decades as demand grew faster than expected. Operations eventually stopped, but the buildings still stand and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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