African Caribbean Market

UCSD Center for Community Health worked with the market owners at African Caribbean Market for over a year to improve and promote access to healthy foods as part of their Live Well Community Market Program. Part of this program includes market redesign, renovations and reorganizing of the interior of the store to make it more comfortable and appealing to better serve their existing customers and invite new customers. Studio Nectary’s role was to support their efforts as a community facilitator support, designer and project coordinator (while a contracted designer and project manager for Rooted In Place).

The design portion of the project was guided by community visioning meetings with local stakeholders and shoppers and adjacent business owners, to share their input on the proposed graphic designs provided by students in San Diego State University’s School of Art and Design and provide new insight into including social gathering elements for the neighborhood and passersby. Over the course of three months we supported the UCSD team through input on the engagement process, guided and led the project coordination for construction, material purchasing and volunteer task organization.

On November 12, 2017 the community build came to life with market owners Christian and Grace Bempong, 65 volunteers and the project team to paint, build, and plant the renovations for the market. The adjacent business, Mai Salon, was inspired by these efforts and throughout the planning and build process, painted and renovated their storefront to increase visibility and beauty for the neighborhood. A shared bench and bright concrete paint along both entryways joined the two businesses together as an inviting social gathering place.

The energy and collaboration between the organizations and businesses that emanated from this project showed the diverse community and culture of City Heights. The improvements made at these two businesses have had an expanded affect by helping to promote El Cajon Boulevard as a green, multi-modal, thriving small business corridor.

COLLABORATORS:

UCSD Center for Community Health – Client
San Diego State University’s School of Art and Design
County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency
El Cajon Blvd BIA
Kline Swonger – Artist Lead Rob Tobin – Artist Lead

ARTICLES & VIDEOS:

AWARDS:
Economic Development Planning Award – Center for Community Health and University of California, San Diego for the “African Caribbean Market Makeover & Community Gathering Space”