Reading Terminal Market Plans Renovation Project

Reading Terminal Market has announced it will begin a renovation of more than 5,000 square feet of communal space in the facility beginning this spring. The renovations will improve seating, flooring, dining areas, accessibility, and safety, creating a more comfortable, easier-to-maintain environment for staff.

Market officials told CBS Philadelphia that the renovations are timed to coordinate with America's semiquincentennial celebrations this summer.

According to CBS Philadelphia, the project will include modern and ADA-accessible seating, increased dining space, new flooring, and "modest structural enhancements that open sightlines" in the market's Center Court, Arch Street Annex, and Rick Nichols Room, as noted in a press release issued by the market.

"Our public seating areas are showing the wear and tear that comes from hosting millions of visitors each year," Annie Allman, CEO and general manager of the Reading Terminal Market Corporation, said in the release. "As Philadelphia's most visited public space, we want to make sure our guests have a comfortable and safe dining experience and are confident this project will better serve our guests while making our housekeeping team's job a bit easier."

Renderings of the upgrades, which aim to maximize available space within the market to improve traffic flow and create community gathering spaces, were provided by the architectural firms WATG and SOSH.

According to CBS Philadelphia, Reading Terminal Market officials project hosting more than 6 million visitors this year, driven by national celebrations and events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the MLB All-Star Game.

A portion of the funding for the renovations will be provided by a $275,000 grant awarded by the Dorothy and Anthony Bardaro Foundation.

Reading Terminal Market, one of America's oldest public markets, houses approximately 80 family-owned businesses across roughly 78,000 square feet. It opened on Feb. 22, 1893.