It's one of the most iconic of buildings in the area - the Caribbean Carnival looking market at Caton and Flatbush. Most new folks probably don't know that this structure was built to house the many outdoor vendors who had come to populate this corner right next to the parking lot. The idea seemed strong - give the vendors proper stalls and year-round space to hawk their wares. But...it's never really drawn a lot of traffic. Last weekend I spent some time browsing and talking to shopkeeps, and there was a trickle of neighbors strolling by the stalls, but precious few. The problem is that you have to GO IN, and unless there's something specific that you need from one of these vendors (like a haircut from Orlando, to talk lefty politics no less), one isn't really drawn to the mostly dark and unappealing building, whose architecture feels more like a storage facility than a mall.
And now, as the market gives way to a new building that will house ALL below-market housing, 250 units to be precise, it must be torn down to make way for both the building AND a reboot of the mini-mall itself. I applaud the affordable housing initiative, and was heartened to see that the OTHER QatParkside Community Board, numero 14, was supportive. Trust me, had this project been proposed for Empire Blvd all hell would have broken loose.
And hey, if you want to help market the Caton Market, you can get paid to do so. Check out the job listing:
Marketing Director Spot
2 comments:
If they could host fresh produce vendors like the Parkside Farmer's market here, they would do well. Focus on Caribbean-centric produce, even.
What an interesting job posting that is. It will be tough to find the perfect person I think, which is scary because I believe the success of the market will hinge on this position.
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