Washington Harbor District Alliance’s Washington Farmers & Artisans Market will finish out the year at its current location before relocating to an indoor venue next year.

That location — in the city parking lot bounded by East Main, Bonner and Water streets — has been criticized by vendors and shoppers for being inconvenient for several reasons, including inadequate parking. The market was relocated there this year because of improvements to Crab Park at the western end of Stewart Parkway, where the market had been located for several years.

The decision to keep the market at its current site for the remainder of this year was announced during the City Council meeting Monday. WHDA plans to relocate the market in the former McClellan’s department store on West Main Street. The relocated market will have a new name and focus — Harbor District Market. WHDA got funding from the North Carolina General Assembly to help with relocating and expanding the market, according to City Manager Bobby Roberson,

“They’re actually in the process of renovating that building and bringing forth a plan and the implementation strategy. So, this is the first part of a three-part series about the farmers market. There will be additional information coming forth on that,” Roberson said.

According to Chris Furlough, WHDA president, the indoor market would house about 50 to 60 vendors throughout the year. A climate-controlled site for the market would help keep produce fresher longer, according to Furlough. A market that operates throughout the year would allow more time for vendors to sell their wares, he said.

During the council’s June 26 meeting, Dot Moate, who lives near the market’s current site, said some market vendors expressed concerns about the site.

The vendors complained to Moate on June 24. She did not identify those vendors. On June 24, an event was occurring at Festival Park, which hampered parking for market customers, she said. Also affecting customer traffic at the market is the absence of signs informing people where the market is located, she noted. Market vendors said those factors and the current location are resulting in fewer customers, according to Moate.

“We had two of three vendors leave before it was time to close up,” Moate told the council last month.

The vendors who complained suggested finding a new, better location for the market. They suggested closing off the section of Respess Street between the waterfront and Main Street on Saturdays and relocating the market there. Such as move would have needed approval from city officials.