A long-established and successful growers’ market group in Albuquerque may be on the verge of buying a site at 1001 Central Avenue NW that has gone unused for nearly two decades.
The Downtown Growers’ Market, which regular hosts outdoor produce booths at the nearby Robinson Park, located at 810 Copper Avenue NW, has expressed an interest in purchasing the Central Avenue site, roughly one block to the west.
That half-acre site, comprising nearly a full city block, was the former home of the Café Oaxaca, a one-story restaurant that went out of business in the summer of 2004.
In making a bid for the property, the Downtown Growers’ Market is working with the non-profit Three Sisters Kitchen, located at 109 Gold Avenue SW and housing kitchen, classroom, and café space.
If the purchase becomes reality, the Central Avenue site, according to reports, may be turned into a new food vendors market, with a production kitchen. The building that once housed the Café Oaxaca will most likely be demolished.
The Downtown Grocers’ Market is one of the most enduring outdoor market venues in the state for fresh produce, regularly featuring up to 200 individual vendors.
By Garry Boulard
