TUCSON, Ariz. — The Tanque Verde Swap Meet is under new ownership. Denver-based United Flea Markets acquired the swap meet, and owns 11 others across the country.
One thing that makes Tanque Verde special to the new owner is the offer of both daytime and evening hours, something unique to the company's 12 swap meets across the country.
"We first visited Tanque Verde and we felt a lot of energy around the night market. There's a day market and a night market. And there was just a great vibe out here and we were excited about adding it to the portfolio and seeing what we can do to continue the legacy of the Chapins who founded the market 40 years ago," said Robert Sieban, United Flea Markets' CEO.
United Flea Markets is starting a series of renovations. Swap meet sellers and buyers will notice some differences in the coming months.
"We'll be reinvesting in a very strong technology platform which will improve both the buyer and the seller experience. WiFi on the property for the sellers to access so they can check on inventory and transact sales while they're here. Do a number of face-lifts, painting, cleaning, shrubbery-landscaping, try to improve the market the best we can to make it as attractive as possible," said Sieban.
But the company's mission to move forward, doesn't come at cost to the local staff.
"We've never done business in Tucson before, so we expect to learn from all the team members. We work to retain every single team member when we buy a property, including here. It's very important to use, in terms of continuity, to keep that team whole, and keep them in their positions and learn from them as we learn more about the business here," said Sieban.
Tanque Verde Swap Meet is located at 4100 South Palo Verde. Hours are Friday, 3 pm to 11 pm; Saturday, 7 am to 11 pm; and Sunday, 7 am to 3 pm. Admission and parking are free.
