Key City Gateway Reimagined In Downtown Albany With Completion Of Clinton Market Collective Construction

August 1, 2024

Learn More About Clinton Market Collective Here

View The Announcement Press Release Here  

 

Capitalize Albany Corporation and Clinton Market Collective project partners recognized the reimagined destination’s completion of construction today marking the grand opening of Clinton Market Collective.

 

The site is bordered by Clinton Avenue on the south, Broadway on the east, North Pearl Street on the west, and the Leo W. O’Brien Federal building on the north. The $3.8 million project completed over the last year resulted in the redevelopment of 11 Clinton Ave., known as Federal Park – a former roadbed – into Clinton Market Collective.

What was a heavily underused space adjacent to major downtown attractions, the Palace Theatre and the Skyway, the redeveloped outdoor space now features handicapped-accessible ramps; curb cuts and electric power available for food trucks; pop-jet fountains with colored light displays; shade canopies; and it has two customizable, 20-foot-long shipping containers which will be available to local entrepreneurs, small businesses and  vendors for lease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The revitalized outdoor space is now prepared to support a market concept and proving ground for startup businesses, diverse pop-up retail, installments by local artists, and signature events. Its new design creates a welcoming vibrant space, enhances pedestrian connections, and anchors Clinton Square’s role as both an engaging destination and an introduction to the city’s unique local neighborhoods, arts and commercial venues.

A team led by J.H. Maloy Construction began work in April 2023, TW&A Construction Management, a New York State Women-Owned Business (WBE) served as the construction manager for the project, and a team led by Schenectady-based landscape architecture firm PLACEAlliance Northeast, now merged with Fuss & O’Neill, completed the design and engineering.

The design and construction of Clinton Market was made possible with support from the New York State Department of State as part of the City of Albany’s third-round $10 million NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award, Capitalize Albany Corporation, National Grid under its Urban Center/Commercial District Revitalization Program, Empire State Development Capital Grant funding as part of  the Round 11 Regional Economic Development Councils Initiative and the City of Albany through its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding process. The project concept was developed by hundreds of stakeholders who participated in the Clinton Square DRI planning process.

Capitalize Albany is actively marketing the semi-permanent vendor shipping container spaces and reviewing inquiries from local businesses to support consistent on-site activity. Over the next several months, the Corporation will be working with local community partners to activate Clinton Market with pop-up activities and events and interested parties may reach out to Capitalize Albany directly. Capitalize Albany plans to release a solicitation for a third-party site-operator to support more frequent feature events and activity on site.

With the site now open for use, Capitalize Albany is furthering its fundraising to bring additional key site amenities to the space which are needed to fully activate the envisioned market concept. Additional funding is needed to support a performance stage, outdoor seating, artwork and more. Capitalize Albany has packaged several highly-visible corporate sponsorship opportunities and is looking forward to connecting with potential partners. More information on partnership opportunities is available at www.CapitalizeAlbany.com/ClintonMarket.

The Corporation already tapped into more than $3.5 million through local and state grants and committed $300,000 itself to support the project. These final amenities are needed to maximize the site’s potential and will only be made possible with additional support.

Its premier location presents a distinct opportunity. This transformed park will strengthen a key gateway to the Capital City at the foot of the Skyway that already greets more than 20,000 people daily who arrive into downtown.

Clinton Market complements the adjacent Skyway, the Capital Region’s first and only elevated linear park – a project similarly designed under sponsorship and management of Capitalize Albany with funding assistance under Regional Councils Initiative grant award from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Albany’s Clinton Square neighborhood was named a third-round DRI winner in September 2018. The City of Albany aims to make Clinton Square a welcoming, thriving gateway district and distinctive hub that connects and catalyzes activity downtown and in Albany’s warehouse district. This momentum will also impact the Arbor Hill and Sheridan Hollow neighborhoods.

With the support of New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and the Capital Region Economic Development Council, downtown Albany — and the Capital Region as a whole — is poised for unprecedented success.