Café Chianti and Northern Watters Knitwear To Open At The PIER
HALIFAX–Two new businesses will soon open at The PIER (the former location of the Seaport Farmers’ Market) in the historic Halifax Seaport District.
Café Chianti and Northern Watters Knitwear And Tartan Shop are expected to open there this Spring, after renovations are complete.
They will join Latte Da Coffee Tea Bistro and Gifts, which opened at The PIER last November.
Although there is a heavy focus on hosting local businesses at the new PIER, the main goal is to have the various members of the marine transportation industry working together at the site and sharing knowledge to come up with solutions.
It has been described as a “living lab” for the maritime transportation industry.
RELATED: The PIER Innovation Lab Opens On Halifax Waterfront
Some of the partners that have signed on for the living lab include CN, PSA Halifax, Accenture, IBI Group, OMC International, Saab, Dalhousie University, and the Halifax Port Authority itself.
For nearly a decade, the Seaport building was home to the Seaport Farmers Market, which had vendors stationed there all week long. While the market was popular on weekends and with cruise ship visitors, it was much slower on weekdays.
“For years and years, that market was always a successful weekend market…but it really struggled to find its footing as a full seven-day-a-week destination,” said Lane Farguson, media relations manager for the Port of Halifax.
“Before Covid hit, we started to look at different options for that building and one of the things we explored was bringing in tenant operators to manage the whole building and create an urban hall.”
Earlier in 2021, the farmers market was moved to Pavilion 22.
RELATED: Halifax Farmers’ Market Moved To Make Way For Transportation ‘Living Lab’
In September, the Port Authority asked for expressions of interest from people to run retail spaces on The PIER’s ground floor, where the farmers market used to be. There is a total of seven ground-level retail spaces ranging from 450 square feet to 3,200 square feet in size.
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].