DUNCAN ADAMS The Roanoke Times

A bread deliveryman peers through the window of Tavern on the Market late last month shortly after the Roanoke City Market Building closed. The possible reopening of the building Saturday coincides with the city's Harvest Festival.

The Roanoke City Market Building and some or all of its food court vendors could reopen Saturday, contingent upon final health inspections scheduled today for the downtown landmark.

Meanwhile, like Elvis, a seemingly cagey mouse has left the building.

At least that's one explanation pitched by a spokesman for the Virginia Health Department for a survivor mouse that apparently escaped a trap Sunday or early Monday in the trap-bristling, city-owned market building and has not been bagged since.

"That mouse, if there was one, has left the building," said Robert Parker, a regional spokesman for VDH, noting that nary a mouse has been trapped during the past six days.

Parker spoke after city and local health department officials met Thursday morning with vendors inside the market building.

The city closed the building Sept. 19 after health inspectors found numerous serious health code violations inside, including evidence of mice infestation in all 10 food sellers' stalls. In some stalls, there was evidence also of related food contamination.

At Tavern on the Market, for example, inspectors found mouse droppings inside wrapped packages of sliced cheese.

VDH suspended the vendors' licenses, and city officials decided to close the building to the public.

Since then, vendors have labored long hours cleaning their small spaces. And plumbing, electrical and painting contractors and other workers have upgraded and spruced up the food court section and other areas of the building.

Previously undetected holes in walls have been patched, closing mouse highways.

On Thursday, Parker said "significant and commendable" progress has occurred in the two weeks since the building's closing.

Previously, city officials had said the market building would not reopen until all 10 vendors, who are separately licensed, passed inspection.

Parker said that policy has changed, and freshly licensed vendors could be allowed to reopen Saturday -- the same day of the city market's Harvest Festival.

On Thursday morning, employees of Burger in the Square worked to restart the ice machine that helps chill customers' soft drinks.

Co-owner Louis Wilson said health officials have "set the bar very high" for vendors to pass inspection.

Many food court vendors enjoy a loyal following, especially during the lunch hour. Although some customers have expressed reticence about returning, others have said they'll be back as soon as the health department gives its OK.

When they do return, customers will find, among other changes, fresh paint, other cosmetic touches and some of the furniture the city has ordered from Roanoke-based Twists & Turns, according to Melinda Mayo, a city spokeswoman.

Mayo added that "the city has agreed to prorate the vendors' rent for the two weeks the food court was closed, and give vendors additional time to pay that rent."

This week, City Manager Darlene Burcham and city council members pondered the possibility of closing the market building again in early March -- this time for major, city-led renovations that could shutter the building for a long time.

Mayo said the prospect of a March shutdown was not discussed Thursday morning during the meeting with vendors.

Farmer Mark Woods, who has long occupied an outdoors stall at the adjacent farmers market, said he will welcome the reopening of the market building, which he said helps draw people to the city market.

The closing, he said, has been "like taking a cog out of the wheel."