SALEM — Roughly 40 people brainstormed Tuesday about how the Salem Redevelopment Authority's properties might boost the downtown. 

Among the ideas that seemed to get traction — converting the old Superior Court building into a market, similar to Faneuil Hall in Boston.

"We talked quite a bit after doing this exercise about how important it is to encourage development in buildings that engage you when you get out of the train station," said Tim Love, a group leader and principal with Boston-based design firm Utile. "It would be great if there were ground-floor amenities in those buildings that are useful for Salem residents coming off the train or people going to the train to go somewhere else."

Attendees broke into groups to hash out ideas, marking walking paths and areas of interest on large maps of the northern part of downtown.  

Most people pegged the northernmost section of Washington Street as a "dead spot," along with St. Peter Street, North Street, and the southern portion of downtown closest to the commuter rail. They further outlined that, as one group put it, that "walking routes do correlate with activity," pointing to the Pedestrian Mall, Front Street and Derby Street as examples.

Gavin Gardner, chief of resources at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, spoke about "the food drought downtown" — or more specifically, the lack of food markets.

"Steve's Quality Market is the only place I go to pick up a gallon of milk or bag of potato chips," Gardner said. 

At the same time, the southern half of downtown lacks "direct access to the train," he explained, pointing out walking paths the group scrawled across a map at their table.

"You sneak up the back of Brown Street and get to the (Church Street) parking lot," he said, "and suddenly, you're bobbing and weaving through the alleys and parking lot."

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