Flatbush Central has stood the test of time as a commercial and cultural institution.
Located at the bustling intersection of Flatbush and Caton Avenues in the heart of a community with a rich Caribbean tradition, Flatbush Caton Market (FCM) was originally established in 2000 as an open-air market through the pioneering advocacy of Honorable Dr. Una Clarke.
As a community member and elected official, she witnessed the day-to-day struggles of street merchants in her district. Realizing the need and opportunity, Dr. Clarke’s office partnered with the City of New York to dedicate a permanent space in a municipal parking lot for merchants to set-up tents, and the market was born. Unsatisfied with vendors merely transitioning from the street to tents in a parking lot, Dr. Clarke’s office raised $100,000 for the construction of a permanent building to house the merchants by galvanizing the support of vendors, community members, and other local officials.
In 2001, FCM broke ground for the construction of a permanent building to provide an indoor home at affordable rates to former local street vendors, with the new building opening on January 19, 2002. Since then, FCM has stood the test of time as a commercial and cultural institution housing over 40 merchants, community events and a seasonal farmers market.
In 2013, the New York City Economic Development Corporation released an RFP to redevelop and manage the Market, including new commercial, residential, and community uses and a permanent home for the FCM. BRP Companies and Urbane Development were part of the joint venture partnership awarded the project.
Urbane and nonprofit Mangrove Community Wealth took over management of the market and supported the vendors through redevelopment. In November 2017, FCM relocated to a temporary market within the neighborhood on Clarendon Road.
The original market site was redeveloped into a 14-story mixed-use complex, with FCM, renamed Flatbush Central (FC) Caribbean Marketplace, in the ground floor. In 2022, the vendors moved back into the redeveloped space and the new FC opened to the public.
Today, Flatbush Central includes the Caribbean Marketplace along with a food hall, shared commercial kitchen, event space, natural products lab, and design studio. Mangrove Community Wealth supports the vendors as well as food entrepreneurs and community organizations with affordable space and technical assistance.
