City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren was
joined by community leaders and advocates to break ground on La Marketa at The
International Plaza, a project that will turn a vacant lot on North Clinton
Avenue across from St. Michael’s Church into a vibrant and colorful outdoor
public space programmed with retail opportunities as well as music, dancing and
other cultural activities. North Clinton Avenue, also known as the El Camino
neighborhood, is the hub of Rochester’s Puerto Rican and Latinx community.
“For twenty years, the neighbors of El Camino have wanted
a public, multi-cultural marketplace where they could gather to celebrate their
culture through shopping, food, music, dance and more,” Mayor Warren said.
“When I joined City Council more than 10 years ago, I promised that I would
stand alongside these residents in their push to improve their neighborhood by
creating more jobs, safer streets and better educational opportunities. Today,
their vision finally becomes a reality.”
La Marketa will feature colorful walkways, a bandstand,
green space and shipping containers repurposed as retail kiosks—much like those
at the Rochester Public Market—as well as amenities that can accommodate a
variety of events. The City of Rochester Department of Recreation and Youth
Services will program the space and oversee operations once the project is
complete.
The project is being funded in part with a $1.3 million
from the Rochester Economic Development Corporation, $426,700 from the
Rochester Urban Renewal Agency, a $487,800 Community Development Block Grant
and a $400,000 grant from N.Y. State Empire State Development. It is expected
to be completed before the winter of 2020.
Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council
Co-Chairs, Monroe Community College President Anne Kress and Greater Rochester
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy said, “The Finger Lakes
Regional Economic Development Council is fully committed to supporting this
important public private partnership. The project is truly a game-changer. La
Marketa will a be vibrant, mixed-use destination in the City of Rochester that will no doubt result in solid
opportunities in the El Camino neighborhood
for both businesses and residents alike.”
Ibero Development, the Ibero American Action League, the
North Clinton Business Association and other community partners have worked
with the City to design La Marketa.
“We are very excited about what the La Marketa at the
International Plaza project will do for the neighborhood and the opportunities
it will provide for residents,” said Miguel Melendez, Chief Community
Engagement Officer for the Ibero American Action League. “You can draw a
straight line from what was proposed by residents in the El Camino Vision Plan
to what has been co-created with the City of Rochester on this site. This is a
true neighborhood and government partnership, one that we all hope to build off
of well into the future.”
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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer
Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.