Following the Civil War, local government officials led by Board of Public Works head Alexander "Boss" Shepherd sought to change the image of Washington, D.C., as a small, unattractive city.

Among the many improvements Shepherd planned was the replacement of the city's existing public markets with new, brick facilities in heavily populated neighborhoods.

[4] Shepherd nevertheless moved ahead with plans for a city-owned public market, and allocated land for the facility on the southwest corner of Square 446 (a city block bounded by 6th, 7th, O, and P Streets NW).

[4] The NLMC sought to relocate, and in 1881 purchased the southwest corner of Square 422 (a city block bounded by 7th, 8th, O, and P Streets NW).

7th Street NW was the heart of the city's Jewish community,[5] and a significant number of African Americans lived in the neighborhood.

Local residents picketed the market, which led the city to enforce cleanliness regulations and building codes at the facility.

[7] The closure of the market and many other nearby businesses caused a widespread decline in the neighborhood, and left local residents without easy access to retail establishments.

[9] In 1974, the RLA proposed renovating the O Street Market and making it the retail centerpiece of a revived Shaw neighborhood.

[11] In 1977, local African American entrepreneur James C. Adkins purchased the market and the rest of Square 422 for $200,000 ($1,005,601 in 2023 dollars).

[14] Renovation of the historic structure was more costly than anticipated, and Adkins was forced to seek an additional $300,000 ($1,259,422 in 2023 dollars) in 1979 to complete its rehabilitation.

At around 7 pm, the five men entered the market and fired more than 30 rounds, killing A'Vant and wounding eight others (including a toddler and two elderly women).

The structure fell into disrepair, trash collected around the building, many vendors were squatters without leases, and drug dealers and gang members loitered nearby, driving customers away.

[2][4] In 2001, local firm Roadside Development purchased the building with plans to rehabilitate the facility along with the Madison Retail Group.

[d] They proposed the partial closure of a 40-foot-wide (12 m) plaza on 8th Street to be replaced with a sidewalk, parking lot, and retail space, and for the addition of new windows in the walls.

[21][24] The last tenants, consisting of small restaurants and shops, vacated the structure in late 2002 in preparation for remodeling set to begin in March or April 2003.

[25] Redevelopment of the O Street Market was delayed for two years as the developers sought to meet the demands imposed by the Historic Preservation Review Board.

[26] Community leaders and neighborhood residents regularly called for the project to resume in hopes that it would spur other development and decrease gang activity in the area.

[27][30] After Roadside met the height requirements by removing penthouse apartments, the zoning commission approved the project in late March 2008.

Now named "City Market at O", the nine-story development included over 600 units of housing, a 200-room hotel, retail space, and a new Giant supermarket almost doubling the size of the existing store.

Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the city government would provide $35 million in tax increment financing (TIF) and plans were made to break ground in late 2009.

[21] The 72,000 sq ft (6,700 m2) grocery store includes a cafe and bar built into the O Street Market's historic tower.

The most distinctive feature of this Gothic Revival section is the square tower on the northwest corner of 7th and O Streets NW.