The Westwood Farmers’ Market is scheduled to be closed after its last event this Thursday because of complications with a nearby construction project, marking the end of the market’s tenure in the Village.

The Los Angeles Fire Department determined the area to be unsafe for public use due to nearby construction in the coming weeks, according to a statement released by City Councilman Jack Weiss, whose district encompasses Westwood.

The construction on Glendon Avenue near the market is for the Palazzo Westwood, a mixed-use complex with apartments and retail spaces, a development by Casden Properties LLC, which has been ongoing since 2004.

Howard Katz, vice president of community development for Casden, said construction will likely continue until the third quarter of 2007, and it has become necessary to access the northern side of the construction site, where the market occupies Weyburn Avenue, to complete the next section.

According to the statement, the market was ordered by the Los Angeles Fire Department to vacate Weyburn Avenue by the end of the month.

“The market cannot continue to operate on Weyburn Avenue during the next phase of construction,” the statement said.

This order to vacate will supersede the street closure permit and void any previous City Council motion, according to the statement.

The market was originally informed that it would need to secure a new location in March 2004, according to Weiss’s statement.

A flier being passed around the market last Thursday warned of the market’s closing and urged market patrons to contact Weiss’s office to oppose the closure.

Donovan Marshall, the market’s manager, said the market and its 70 vendors were not given adequate notice of the immediate closure of the market.

Marshall said the market would like to establish a dialogue with Weiss’ office and feels as if the City Council has done nothing to help its cause.

He added that the market would be willing to work with Casden in order to continue the market.

“We’re both good for Westwood,” he said. “Anybody that wants to bring people back, bring the prominence back, we want to help.”

Market vendors have also expressed discontent over the closure.

Shaun Rosendahl of Rosendahl Farms said he does 30 markets a week, but the Westwood Farmers’ Market is one of his very best.

She said there needs to be compromise between the developments and the market.

But Steve Sann, part owner of the Nine Thirty restaurant in The W Hotel, said the market has been on notice to find a new location for five to six years, and the management has not been aggressive in finding a new location.

According to the statement from Weiss’ office, the Farmers’ Market was again notified that closure would be required in 2005, after the fire department notified the council office that heavy work on the Casden project was beginning and would soon create a public safety hazard.

Over its 12 years of existence, the market has had a sometimes turbulent tenure in Westwood.

In 1998, a 60-day moratorium was placed on all prepared hot food and craft vendors in the Westwood Farmers’ Market.

This was intended to return the market to its original concept, which was to include farmers and produce only.

Then, in June 2004, the market was expelled from the Southland Farmers’ Market Association because of “financial irregularities.”

“The market has refused to account for hundreds of thousands of dollars of unexplained expenses over the last several years. In addition, there is no evidence that the market has provided financial assistance to the Westwood community programs as was its original intent,” a press release from the association said.

The market’s organizers will also be holding a protest on Thursday to demonstrate its opposition to the closure.

With reports from Tiffany Pan, Bruin contributor.