Photo: First meeting of the Flea Market Advisory Group, May 2023

The City of San José’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) is committed to engaging with and supporting small business owners at the Berryessa Flea Market as the site shifts to a transit-oriented development with housing and other commercial uses.

Two recent milestones in this work were the selection of the Flea Market Advisory Group in April and the first meeting of the Advisory Group in May.

What is the Flea Market Advisory Group?

As part of the 2021 City Council-approved rezoning project, the City of San José established the Flea Market Advisory Group to advise the City on the following topics:

• The use of a Vendor Transition Fund ($7.5 million, including funding from the property owner and the City). The general purpose of the Fund is to help current Flea Market businesses relocate to a new market or other location.
• The conceptual design, operation, and parking for the urban market area designated for approximately five acres of the site.
• The process for allocating space in the new urban market to existing Berryessa Flea Market businesses.

The Advisory Group is also assisting the City with informing and involving the broader vendor community in these processes.

The Advisory Group is composed of a diverse group of representatives who bring a wide range of perspectives and expertise. There are 11 voting members, including 10 vendor representatives and one property owner representative.

Having the property owner involved will support coordination with the City and vendors on plans for the new urban market area on the existing site. Input from Advisory Group members representing the broader vendor community will be invaluable as stakeholders work together to explore relocation options and provide support to onsite businesses through the transition.

First and second meetings of the Flea Market Advisory Group

The Flea Advisory Group’s first meeting was May 17 at the Berryessa Community Center. Approximately 50 people participated in the meeting. A key theme was to ensure that all business owners received information about the Advisory Group and related efforts. A common goal expressed was a desire to help the vendor community through the tough times and to find feasible relocation solutions as soon as possible.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21, at 6:30 PM on Zoom. This meeting will focus on the economic and site feasibility studies currently underway. Staff and its consultant team will present preliminary data and discuss the approach to assessing alternative sites for their potential to establish a new market.

Advisory Group meetings will be open to the public and will include time for non-members to comment. Meetings will include interpretation in Spanish and Vietnamese. Additional Advisory Group meetings will be held in August, September and November of this year. Throughout this time, staff will work with vendors and community partners to explore various relocation opportunities. The goal is to generate a high-level plan for how the Vendor Transition Fund will be utilized by the end of 2023, based on the outcome of the current feasibility studies and input from the Advisory Group.

The timing of La Pulga’s closure is still unknown but in this quarterly status report from Flea Market management, they share that no one-year closure notices will be given prior to October 1, 2023.

Want to learn more? Stay updated? Support?

• Visit the Berryessa Flea Market Vendor Info page to learn more about the City’s efforts in this process and details about the June 21 Advisory Group meeting.
• To stay updated, sign up for Flea Market email and text notifications.

Want to support the Flea Market and its small businesses? Share this social media commercial (English, Spanish, Vietnamese) and/or plan a visit to La Pulga this summer!

• English (Instagram and Facebook)
• Spanish (Instagram and Facebook)
• Vietnamese (Instagram and Facebook)