Dunedin businessmen Gareth Davies and Gregory Hoskins have applied for resource consent to use the Princes St reserve, owned by the Dunedin City Council, as the home for a new Sunday market.
The pair hoped to stage the first market on December 13, and Mr Davies said up to 35 stalls could feature.
So far, 20 stalls were already confirmed.
However, council resource consents manager Alan Worthington said the pair's consent application had only been received yesterday, and he was not certain the paperwork would be ready - and a consent granted - in time for the first market.
The market's organisers would also likely be looking for a new home within three months, council parks and reserves team leader Martin Thompson confirmed.
The site had historically been home to a market, but there was concern staging the new event each week could damage the reserve's grass during cold and wet winter months.
He supported a three-month summer trial, but wanted the organisers to look for a new home afterwards.
"After that we would prefer, if they wanted to continue with the market if it was successful, for them to relocate to a more permanent site," Mr Thompson said.
One possible alternative was the events area at the Oval, where circus acts usually operated, he said.
Mr Davies said when contacted yesterday he remained confident consent would be granted in time for the first market on December 13, and he was not fazed by a likely shift to the Oval.
"Really, we just wanted the Market Reserve to get the name out there and get it established. We are hoping once the name is well established and the market is established it's not going to be an issue."
Arts and crafts would be the focus of the market, accompanied by food sellers and live music, he said.
