Punta Gorda Farmers Market secures lease through 2030

The Downtown Punta Gorda Farmers Market secured a new lease with the city, ending months of uncertainty over its future while significantly increasing the cost of operating the popular Saturday market. 

The Punta Gorda City Council approved the agreement Oct. 14, granting the market a new lease with options for two additional one-year renewals that could keep it operating through 2030. 

Jerry Presseller, the market’s founder and president, said Oct. 16 that he planned to announce the agreement to vendors at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 17, as they packed up following the weekly market. 

Under an agreement negotiated by attorneys for the city and Presseller, the Downtown Punta Gorda Farmers Market will pay $5,200 annually, up from $750 under its previous temporary permit. 

Presseller also will continue covering vendors’ permit fees and business taxes. Combined with the new lease payment, those expenses will bring the market’s annual operating costs to approximately $12,000, he said. 

The agreement follows months of speculation that the market, located at 227 Taylor St., might close or come under new management. Other parties had expressed interest in operating the market, which has become a popular destination for residents and visitors and is promoted by Charlotte County’s tourism bureau. 

Presseller, a former president of the Downtown Merchants Association, founded the market in 2008 as part of efforts to revitalize Punta Gorda following Hurricane Charley in 2004. The Category 4 storm devastated much of the city, destroying homes, businesses and public buildings and prompting a communitywide rebuilding effort. 

What began with eight vendors has grown to 66, with further expansion planned. 

“We’ll be up to 84 the beginning of December,” Presseller said. 

His daughter, Julie, joined him in managing the market as it expanded and continues in that role. 

The market’s future came under scrutiny as City Council, which has added four new members in recent years, began reviewing municipal leases and permit fees. Council discussed the market’s lease and operating arrangements during a Jan. 20 workshop. 

As questions about the market’s future continued, the city shifted from its longstanding annual permit renewal to temporary quarterly extensions, allowing officials time to consider other arrangements. 

At a June meeting, council members discussed the market’s fees, insurance coverage, street closures and pedestrian safety, including a reported trip-and-fall incident. 

The market carries $1 million in liability insurance per occurrence and $2 million in aggregate coverage, with the city named on the policy. Its most recent tax receipts totaled $4,032. 

Market organizers also install and remove barricades and temporary signs each week and pay for a restroom attendant at the Herald Court public restrooms used by visitors. 

More than two dozen vendors and supporters spoke during the June meeting, urging council members to preserve the market and emphasizing its importance to downtown businesses. 

Former Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce President John Wright praised Presseller for advocating for the market’s vendors and helping introduce Electronic Benefit Transfer and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program services. 

“Jerry Presseller should be given the key to the city,” Wright said. 

Presseller, a longtime local business owner and volunteer who most recently served as president of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Punta Gorda, thanked supporters during the meeting. 

“I’m humbled and extremely honored by your support, and hopefully we can go forward,” he said. 

Council members said they supported the market and did not intend to force Presseller out of business, despite claims circulating on social media. 

The market operates Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. October through April and from 8 a.m. to noon May through September.