Needless to say, Fairhope is known for quirky, niche businesses. Where else can you pick up a painting, a rare book and a precious antique within yards of each other? Now, one Fairhope business seeks to provide a wide variety of options under one roof. The soon-to-open Windmill Market will lease floor space on a daily basis to local vendors; Fairhope’s upscale, modern version of a flea market.

Mac Walcott is the owner of Windmill Market, along with his wife Gina. He is an architect with Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects who decided to look for additional opportunities in light of the slow construction market. In his words, “we can wait for the economy to change or we can do something.”

Farmer’s Market looks to the wind to blow in more revenue.

He has decided to take a $200,000 chance on an old metal building with 6,600 square feet that he has owned for about five years. He plans to create an “open market,” which will showcase local merchants. For as little as $38 a day, a retailer can offer wares in one of about 45 booths in the facility, and several businesses have opted to do just that.

Moe’s Original Barbecue has already signed up to rent a space on weekends. Mark White, the owner of the Orange Beach and Daphne locations, views the effort as “more or less of an incubator” to test the Fairhope market for his products. White said his business shares the green philosophy of Windmill Market and will look to use produce sold at the Market in the Moe’s menu. He views participating in the Market as a good move for a small business in a “bad economy.” To start, Moe’s special Fairhope location will be open on weekends only, but a “long-term future” there is a possibility. For now, this is a way for his business to “put toes in the water.”

Another (less-established) food vendor is going to try her luck at the Windmill Market. Vicki Lager is a Philadelphia native who only five months ago moved to Fairhope for a better environment with better schools for her young family. She brought her three-year-old vegetarian chef service, named Eat Peacefully, with her.

She sees operating a booth as a “first step to getting my name out there” and a “chance to get noticed.” She has signed up for the opening Saturday and hopes to continue operating each weekend. Her booth will offer vegetarian meals to go that can be cooked at home. She will also offer some cold salads that can be eaten on the premises. She runs her business simply, having no employees and focusing on cooking food that is “fresh, healthy, all vegetarian.” Lager is interested in the “green concept,” having been a vegetarian for 20 years.

Lager found the Market quite by accident. She lives in Fairhope and happened to drive by one day. She then hopped on the Internet and came across contact information for the Walcotts. A few weeks ago, she attended a meeting for prospective vendors. She said that 30 to 40 interested people came to the meeting, which included free t-shirts and a raffle to get folks fired up about their new ventures.

If more than food is on your mind, you will want to take a look at another vendor, Josh Reynier, whose specialty is “lamp working,” a way of manipulating glass at high temperatures. He has practiced his craft for about 12 years, after being trained by a friend in exchange for guitar lessons. Reynier will offer lamps, champagne flutes, wine glasses and vases, among other items. He plans to have a booth for the opening day and will likely participate in an earlier open house event.

With an eye toward the latest in business trends, Walcott has constructed the “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” facility with the help of Watershed, an affiliated “green consulting company.” In fact, the plans call for a working, 35-foot-high windmill that will generate at least some power for the operation. The windmill was purchased at a cost of $15,000 from Gulf Coast Green Power in Fairhope, the same company that outfitted Lulu’s with a similar device.

The building is also equipped with rain-catching cisterns to make use of rainwater. An electric car-charging station is also in the offing. Construction included the use of leftover concrete to build a retaining wall. Another wall is playing host to a mural competition for area artists, with the winner to receive a cash prize.

Finally, plans call for a community garden. Walcott is working on a series of related “apps” for iPhone (Apple and green always seem to go together). The owner is sensitive to the economic environment as well, viewing his operation as an “incubator” for small businesses interested in testing the waters before committing to long-term, costly investments.

Windmill Market, located at 85 North Bancroft Street, is slated to open in early October, with weekend operating hours for the public and spots for special events during the week. The Walcotts also hope to give school children tours with an emphasis on green technologies. For those who are interested, the windmill will be raised Sept. 23. While a literal windmill-powered incubator would probably be a bad idea, this metaphorical one should do just fine. May the wind be at your back, Windmill Market.