On Thursday, January 16, the first test run for the Bieber afternoon market on Ostendplatz was well received. Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., six market stalls invited visitors with a diverse range of sausages, meat, fruit, vegetables, tapas and baked goods. Up to 500 people took advantage of the opportunity, including not only citizens from Bieber, but also from other parts of the city and the district. The response was positive both on site and in the social media.
The core area management manages the market on behalf of the city and works closely with Dirk Lampert, an experienced market manager who already manages the weekly market in Dietzenbach. The stall holders were delighted with the great response and the bakery was already sold out by 4 pm. Nevertheless, there were also critical voices. Some feared that the new market could compete with local vendors and the weekly market on Wilhelmsplatz or put additional pressure on the already scarce parking space in the town center.
"We have implemented the idea from the public participation on the integrated urban development concept 'Bieber und Bürgel - Mitte machen' on Ostendplatz and, together with the core area management, we will closely monitor how the afternoon market is received and whether it may also have a negative impact on the business community in Bieber and the weekly market on Wilhelmsplatz. However, we are hoping for positive effects for local businesses and the district as a whole," says City Councillor Paul-Gerhard Weiß optimistically and invites all citizens to the official opening on Thursday, February 13 at 2 pm.
The core area management has announced that it will closely monitor the development of the afternoon market and possible problems on site, as well as possible effects at other locations in the city, such as the weekly market on Wilhelmsplatz. To this end, the core area management will personally and individually ask the existing Bieber retailers about their experiences and wishes. In the coming months, it will evaluate all feedback and assess whether adjustments are necessary in order to achieve the goal of strengthening the town center as a whole. Overall, the launch shows that the afternoon market has the potential to become a lively meeting place for the community and provide a positive impetus in the district.