Work Begins on Public Market Parking ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Demolition work began Wednesday on Rochester's old Central Grocery Warehouse -- and that will make way for some badly-needed parking space at the Public Market.

The warehouse once received railroad refrigerator cars of produce for city markets, but it was abandoned in the age of trucks and has stood empty for decades.

Andrew Johnson is president of the group "Friends of the Rochester Public Market." He says knocking down the warehouse will make room for better access to the market from Union Street. It also clears the way for 300 to 350 more badly needed parking spaces at the market.

About two-and-a-half million shoppers visit the public market for locally-grown vegetables and other grocery items every year.

The city is spending a million dollars on the project, It also includes rebuilding Trinidad and Hebard Streets and providing safer pedestrian access to the market.

Johnson says his group is also looking at a parking shuttle to the market from more distant parking lots to reduce the number of market visitors parking on surrounding neighborhood streets.
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