The new grant will be used to construct a permanent,
year-round space for farmers and artisans who are currently only able to sell
their goods seasonally. It also will be
used to build public restroom facilities for visitors.
“This funding is exciting news especially for our residents
since the farmers’ market will be located in the heart of Olean’s downtown,”
said Senator Young. “As the City
continues its progress revitalizing downtown, this project will make the
marketplace a hub for activity enhancing residents' quality of life while
supporting agribusiness for area farmers.
It will make Olean a destination building our tourism economy and
enhancing our tax revenues. I commend
Mayor Aiello and the City of Olean for pursuing this worthy project.”
City of Olean Mayor William Aiello said, “On behalf of the
City of Olean, I would like to thank Senator Young for securing this grant to
construct a permanent Farmer’s Market in the center of our business
district. We are very proud of our North
Union Street corridor. Over the past
three years, the city has reconfigured the traffic pattern, upgraded the
infrastructure and added rain gardens. The
result has been private investment in buildings that had long been abandoned. The Farmer’s Market will be a great addition
to this section of Olean and will also provide a venue for local artisans and
farmers to distribute their products in our community.”
The Olean Farmers’ Market will be located near the entrance
of the Olean Center Mall and along Whitney Avenue on the west side of North
Union Street.
Senator Young emphasized that it would complement downtown
Olean's existing amenities and create a vibrant, active and walkable
streetscape where people can gather and shop.
She also successfully advocated for an additional $220,000 in Empire
State Development funding in 2016 that will be put toward the construction of
permanent kiosks which will be made available to farmers and artisans. The
market will offer fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables throughout each
season, farmstead cheese, eggs, high-quality grass-fed meats, pastured poultry,
a variety of homemade baked goods, nursery and bedding plants, fresh-cut
flowers, and artisan quality crafts among other items. Senator Young concluded,
“We know that local farmers' markets can become a vital mainstay within a
community -- a place where people easily interact, alive with social and
economic activity. I am confident that
the Olean's Farmers' Market project will have an enormously positive impact on
many people’s lives.”
