With the future in doubt for the San Jose Flea Market, one more door closes for Silicon Valley's working class

Marlyn Cordova and her family aren't waiting around to see if the San Jose Flea Market will stay open for business.

She and her mother already found another storefront in San Jose, where they are paying double the rent to sell their merchandise—children's baptismal clothing.

Gentle and soft spoken, Cordova, 28, explains how her family feel they have no other choice. The 47 year old flea market is set to close within the next few years as operators make way for a housing and retail village—and there's no guarantee the market will be relocated.

But her reservation breaks when she starts talking about how other vendors—who have become her friends over the years—won't be so lucky.

Many sellers at the flea market are too old to start all over again or take on new jobs, Cordova explains. Others just won't be able to afford the higher rents at other stores in San Jose.

"It's a big concern. Everyone is used to coming here," Cordova said as she stood under the white tarps at the market with her infant daughter at her side. "It's not fair if they shut us down and tell us to go look for another job."

For Cordova and other vendors, the market is more than a place of business. It's like a second home, where they have formed close knit friendships and established customers. Market operators said they want to find a new location for the successful flea market, but they're not making any promises.

Securing a 120 acre site to accommodate the nation's largest open air market is a challenge, as land in the Silicon Valley is scarce and expensive.

At the same time, vendors don't want the market to move outside the San Jose community, where they have made their homes. "It's a big issue for us," Cordova said. "If they move, we will go along if it's in San Jose. If it's far, it will be too hard to commute."

More than a cultural experience, the flea market has served as a significant opportunity for San Jose's working class to run a business cheaply.

That could change if the market is relocated. Vendors will likely face new pressures, including higher rents and steeper operating costs, said Joseph Horwedel, San Jose's director of planning.

"The challenges of keeping blue collared jobs in a high cost areas like the Silicon Valley is something the city grapples with continually," Horwedel said.

Market operators have committed to keeping the flea market open for at least another two years while they continue looking for a new site.

They have spotted the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds as a potential site large enough to accommodate the entire flea market.

They are also considering other locations near the southern and eastern parts of the county, where a majority of the flea market customers live, said Erik Schoennauer, a land use consultant representing the owners of the San Jose Flea Market.

"There are no guarantees, but the owners of the flea market are committed to trying to find a new location," Schoennauer said. "The flea market is a very successful business and there is a lot of motivation to keep it running."