Harlem development corporation plans market under train tracks

Imagine the High Line, but in Harlem and at street level. The Daily News reported that the Harlem Community Development Corporation is now looking for ways to convert an unused strip of Park Avenue between East 111th and 125th streets in East Harlem into an open-air market. The $50 million project could advance as early as next year, the News said.

The project is known as “La Marqueta Mile” and would transform a vacant industrial stretch underneath the Park Avenue Viaduct into 22 blocks of food vendors and other small businesses. State officials say they see envision hundreds of kiosks, ranging in size from 80 to 160 square feet, along the 55-foot-wide promenade. In May, the HCDC will launch a promotional video campaign and a website for the project, the News said.

However, there are challenges. No secure funding has been set, with costs estimated at $2.1 million per block. The city also owns the Park Avenue strip, which gives it the final say over how it should be used. But Borough President Scott Stringer called the plan an “innovative” way to use underutilized city space. [NYDN] and [NY1]