A city or town may also construct, acquire, and operate public markets and cold storage plants for the sale and preservation of butter, eggs, meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and other perishable provisions. Whenever the words "public markets" are used in this chapter and the public market is managed in whole or in part by a public corporation created by a city, the words shall be construed to include all real or personal property located in a district or area designated by a city as a public market and traditionally devoted to providing farmers, crafts vendors and other merchants with retail space to market their wares to the public. Property located in such a district or area need not be exclusively or primarily used for such traditional public market retail activities and may include property used for other public purposes including, but not limited to, the provision of human services and low-income or moderate-income housing.