Durable fabric structure houses farmers market (with related video)

The Central New York Regional Market Authority (CNYRMA) has opened a new multipurpose facility in Syracuse, N.Y., for its year-round farmers market and other events. The hybrid fabric-steel structure was custom designed, engineered and erected by South Haven, Minn.-based Legacy Building Solutions.

Due to challenging soil conditions on the market site, CNYRMA needed a custom solution for the new facility. The new structure is a customized tension fabric building on a durable rigid frame.

“The new building is our fourth year-round shed and adds 75 stalls to our market,” said Ben Vitale, executive director of CNYRMA, which operates one of the largest farmers markets on the East Coast. “It’s been used almost every weekend this summer for the farmers market and has also held some concerts. We’ll probably find even more uses than we originally planned.”

The tension fabric structure measures 80 by 273 feet and was built on a floating concrete slab. To match the existing historic site structures at the market, the shed incorporates green steel sheeting on the exterior sides.

The building’s fabric roof allows plenty of natural light to permeate the interior during the day, while an LED lighting system is in place for evening use and the structure’s included offices. Legacy’s clearspan design allows for the entire floor space to be used. Farmers, vendors and customers have easy access through 18-foot-wide, high-lift overhead doors in the sidewalls and R/U-insulated overhead doors in the end walls.

An active circulation and exhaust ventilation system enhances air quality. The structure also has passive ventilation in the soffit and peak. Additionally, a wet sprinkler system and heating units are suspended from the ceiling, while the roof features a 3-foot eave overhang with icebreakers. The tension fabric roof is rated for 90 mph winds, 50 PSF (pounds per square foot) ground snow and 33.5 PSF roof snow. Roof studs were also placed for the future addition of solar panels.

“It was an enjoyable experience [working] with Legacy Building Solutions,” added Vitale. “I was pleased with the communication between our engineering teams, and the end result exceeded my expectations. We’re going to benefit greatly from the additional multi-use space. It’s a real joy to see people’s faces when walk into the building.”

The CNYRMA was created by the New York state legislature in 1938. Legacy Building Solutions specializes in the design, engineering and construction of fabric-covered buildings for a variety of industries and applications.

This video shows how the manufacturer combines fabric technology with the advantages of pre-engineered metal building frames, to deliver a structure with clear spans that meets a variety of needs.

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