Main Street Market Closes Suddenly

The Main Street Market is no longer open for business as of Friday afternoon.

Owners of the popular downtown produce stand said the city approached them last week and informed them they had 30 days to vacate the property based on the terms of an agreement they worked out last fall.

But rather than wait until the end of the time frame, Bill and Dawn Bailey decided to close up shop and turn their full attention to the new surf and turf market they are constructing in the old Captain's Pizza building nearby.

"The city told us our time was up," Dawn Bailey told Patch on Friday. "We could've gotten a 30-day extension, but we decided to concentrate on the new building instead."

Bill Bailey said there are no hard feelings about how the market came to an abrupt end.

He praised the city for working with him on both the produce stand and his new venture and for welcoming him and his family to the community.

"The city has been great to us," he said outside the market's lot, located on the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue South.

"They gave us the opportunity to get this place open and become known in town. We're looking at this as a positive."

The Baileys admitted it would have been nice to continue to operate the produce stand until the time the new shop opened, which they now say won't happen until around October.

But after giving all their product away on Friday, they are ready to move forward with the next phase of their lives.

"We want the community to know we are not abandoning them," Dawn Bailey stressed. "We're working hard to open the new building and continue to serve the people and businesses of Safety Harbor."

Related: 

• City Allows Main Street Market to Remain Open
• New Main Street Market Should Open This Spring