Flatbush Central Caribbean Marketplace
Brooklyn, NY (2020–2025)
Space:

Flatbush Central is a redeveloped public market and innovation hub that honors the legacy of Flatbush Caton Market while expanding its potential as a destination for culture, entrepreneurship, and community wealth building. Located at the crossroads of Flatbush and Caton Avenues in Central Brooklyn, the site now houses a vibrant Caribbean marketplace, a food hall, a shared commercial kitchen, and Mangrove FC, a business incubator and cultural development space, alongside 255 units of affordable housing. The project was developed by a joint venture team including BRP Companies, Urbane Development, and the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), in partnership with the NYC Economic Development Corporation.

Urbane Development, a Black-owned community development firm and long-time steward of the original Flatbush Caton Market, led the vision for how the redeveloped space could serve as a vehicle for community wealth building. Their approach focuses on elevating trusted local anchors like vendors, artisans, and small business owners as conduits for opportunity in historically underinvested neighborhoods. Flatbush Central became the first site to house a Mangrove FC facility, Urbane’s model for incubating BIPOC-led businesses and strengthening the cultural and economic life of Flatbush and surrounding communities.

Elias was brought on by Urbane to support the spatial and operational design of the new facility, drawing from his work on Tomorrow’s Market and Peckham Palms, which explored cooperative business models and culturally anchored commercial spaces. He worked closely with the design team and legacy vendors to co-design retail spaces, ensuring vendor booths were not only functional but also reflected Caribbean aesthetics and day-to-day business needs. His technical support included brand development, supply chain advising, and business planning to help vendors future-proof their businesses and prepare for the shift into the new market.

Following this, Elias became the founding director of Mangrove FC, where he led the development and launch of the incubator. This included the build-out of the shared commercial kitchen, tasting room, design studio, and public event spaces like the Lakay Lounge. He oversaw recruitment, training, and technical assistance for over 60 small businesses, with a focus on supporting BIPOC, immigrant, and women-led ventures. Elias also developed key programs including the Mangrove Community Business Academy, pop-up retail and culinary activations, youth culinary training in partnership with local schools, and collaborations with partners such as Parsons School of Design, NY Law School, GrowNYC, Cornell Food Venture Center, and the Youth Design Center.

Through a combination of cultural preservation and entrepreneurship support, Flatbush Central and Mangrove FC now stand as a model for how community-led infrastructure, anchored in trust and equity, can catalyze long-term social and economic resilience in a rapidly changing city.