North Scottsdale Farmers Market Shuts Down TruFusion Spot

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The weekly Thursday Farmers Market North Scottsdale location in the parking lot of north Scottsdale's TruFusion Pilates studio has been canceled indefinitely, according to the market's Facebook page.

The market will still operate its weekly stops at other Valley locations, the post said, with operators looking to add another Thursday location in the Paradise Valley area.

The Facebook post pinned the market's closure on TruFusion's landlord no longer allowing them to hold the event on their property.

"It is with a very heavy heart to announce that the Thursday market at TruFusion has been cancelled indefinitely. We just got word that the landlord will no longer allow us to hold the market on the property," the post reads. 'The reasoning being that there were 'too many complaints from tenants in the surrounding area.' This news comes at a very short notice, and we are so sorry for this."

Farmers Market North Scottsdale owner Lori Cordova told Patch on Thursday that the decision to shutter her TruFusion location is a missed opportunity for all involved.

"I think it's crazy," Cordova told Patch. "That market would have taken off like no other, especially with our summer hours moving to early morning. I have seen my markets flourish. It does take time in the beginning to get them up and running, but they have no idea, the landlord, how much traffic that can bring to that location.

"It draws a large crowd, people that don't even realize what's in there. I think they're missing out on a great, great opportunity."

Cordova has operated farmers markets across Scottsdale for close to eight years, she said, with current locations at Troon, DC Ranch Village Health Club, Desert Mountain and at Happy Valley Road and Pima.

Joe Costa, who owns TruFusion Scottsdale, said the decision to close the market came after other tenants in the center complained about the lack of parking caused by the weekly installation.

"We have to be very mindful of the tenants in the center. We tried very hard but we created some frustration with other tenants," Costa told Patch. "It's disappointing, but we have to live alongside of other tenants so we have to be mindful of that. It's a lot easier to say that we can't do it than to correct all the challenges that we were going through."

Costa added that the farmers market, which had been held in the space for three weeks, was ultimately a victim of its own success.

"We knew this going in, but we thought we were going to be able to better control it but weren't able to. No fault of anybody's," he said. "We're disappointed but no one's hurt from it."

Costa doesn't fault the decision to shutter the market, saying the event got a little too big for its surroundings, but hopes the operators can make a go of it elsewhere soon.

Cordova said she hope to once again host a location in that area on Thursdays or Fridays, with the time of day depending on the season.

For now Cordova, who also owns a franchise management company and formerly worked for UPS in HR and litigation, said her markets will continue to do what they do best.

"Our goal is community, driving community and bringing community together. The thing for me, why I started these farmers markets and why they've flourished, they're essential. And during COVID, they've flourished more than ever," Cordova said. "People could come by, drive-thru or pickup. They want to eat organic, they want to eat healthy. These markets are a needed venue, I feel, and especially as COVID happened, people are realizing, they want to live a healthier life. And I think that's why I continue to open farmers markets. And I have many people, developers, asking, 'will you bring your market to our location?'"

"So I'm not going to let one door close and then stop. That door will close at TruFusion and I'll open another one."