About This Project
Metro Blooms Design+Build collaborated with the Mercado Central Board, Collage Architects, and community funders to reimagine the parking lot and outdoor space at Mercado Central, a Latino cooperative marketplace on Lake Street. Mercado Central has served as an incubator for thriving businesses since 1999. In 2020, the cooperative became the sole owner of the cultural mall and began undertaking long-needed rehab projects aligned with their commitment to sustainability.
This project transformed a deteriorating lot with poor drainage into a safer, more functional space that manages stormwater on-site while creating welcoming areas for community use. Improvements included resurfacing and regrading the lot, installing a rain garden and new native plantings, restoring an old underground infiltration system, and adding trees, fencing, and a paved patio for outdoor seating.
Community engagement was central to the design process, with presentations in Spanish led by Metro Blooms staff to ensure members’ input shaped the final vision. Artist Luis Fitch designed a sculpture incorporated into the rain garden, adding a cultural landmark to the site. Today, Mercado Central’s renewed outdoor space provides a vibrant gathering place that reflects and supports the cooperative’s role as a hub for Latino business and culture in Minneapolis.
Thank you to the following organizations who provided funding support for the parking lot, stormwater management system, and rain garden: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Neighborhood Development Center, Minneapolis Foundation, Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers, Lake Street Council, and the City of Minneapolis.
Design Elements
