Downtown Albany Welcomes Steuben Street Market
January 28, 2016
ALBANY, N.Y.… The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for the Steuben Street Market, located at 58 N Pearl Street, on Thursday, January 28, 2016. Joining Albany Mayor Kathy M. Sheehan and Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy to celebrate the opening were Capitalize Albany Corporation president and City of Albany IDA CEO Sarah Reginelli; director of New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s New York Main Street Program Crystal Loffler; president and COO of Omni Group I. David Swawite; BID executive director Georgette Steffens; and co-owner Chris Pratt.
Stocking natural, organic, and non-GMO products in addition to local produce, meat, dairy, and cheese, the Steuben Street Market also features daily lunch specials and grab-and-go options. With approximately 600 items on shelves, the market comes online at a time of significant Downtown residential growth, including 29 Steuben Place Apartment units in the same building.
“As our Downtown neighborhood grows, we know that retail is a key ingredient in that growth,” said Mayor Sheehan. “The Steuben Street Market fills an important need by providing fresh food and produce, and it helps to complement the continued investment that is being made in new apartments in downtown Albany.”
With a mission to make healthy eating easier and more convenient, manager Charissa Pratt and owners Chris Pratt and Alessio Depoli work to keep the supply as local as possible by partnering with small businesses and farms located in New York State. Among the neighboring Downtown businesses represented are Cider Belly Doughnuts and The Enchanted Florist.
“I want to congratulate the team at Steuben Street Market on the opening of the market,” said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy. “This is a great addition to downtown Albany and fills a need for the growing number of people who are choosing to make the city their home. I am especially pleased that the market is featuring local products, which will benefit local farmers and small business owners.”
The decision on what products to carry came from Charissa Pratt’s education – she’s working to complete her master’s degree in nutrition – and was enhanced by a survey of area residents and employees shared by the market and Downtown Albany BID. The result is a market open seven days a week, with hours and items to serve the growing residential, employee, and visitor populations at a price point comparable to larger, national stores.
“Downtown Albany swells to over 20,000 employees daily and has tripled the number of residential units in the last three years, and with those populations on the rise the expectation is that the level of amenities will match the excitement they bring,” said Steffens. “The addition of Steuben Street Market is proof positive that business owners are taking note of this city’s future, adding vibrancy to the heart of the Capital Region, and giving retailers another reason to open in our District.”
The market is located on the first floor of the Steuben Place Apartments, a $4.9 million mixed-use development made possible by assistance from Capitalize Albany Corporation, the City of Albany Industrial Development Agency and New York State. Omni Development turned the vacant Class C office building into 29 studio, one bedroom and two bedroom units with ground-level retail space. As part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative, the project received a $236,250 grant from New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s (HCR) New York Main Street program that was granted to Capitalize Albany to help renovate the commercial space.
James S. Rubin, commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewal said, “The Steuben Market is a terrific addition to downtown Albany. This is an example of the work being done through Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council to support local projects that spur economic activity and enhance quality of life. HCR’s New York Main Street grants are helping to reinvigorate cities and towns across the state, making commercial areas more lively, appealing and relevant. Congratulations to the Pratts, the City of Albany, and to the residents, employees, and visitors who now have a wonderful new place to shop and eat in Albany.”
"Plans for the Steuben Street Market came together at a critical juncture in downtown Albany as boomers and millennials are looking to live in a vibrant, authentic, and walkable environment. The Downtown population’s fast growth made the market a perfect fit,” said Reginelli. “We expect to see growth continue and will be working with potential new retailers this year to help identify related opportunities. Including Omni Development’s residents above, more than 300 downtown apartment units have come online in the past three years, 100 new units are under construction and there are more than 400 in the pipeline to be developed.”
“We knew it was the right time to open a market with the growth happening in Downtown, and the welcome we’ve received at the market is beyond what we could have imagined,” said Pratt. “It’s great to see regular customers, including many residents during the weekend who would otherwise have to drive elsewhere to pick up local, fresh produce and groceries.”
Steuben Street Market is located at 58 N Pearl Street in Albany, NY. Open Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, more information can be found online at steubenstmarket.com or by calling 518.977.4030.
