News Summary
CentroVilla25, a new Latin-themed food hall and marketplace, will officially open in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood on May 30, 2025. This initiative aims to foster economic development and cultural celebration for the local Latino community. Featuring 20 kiosks for food and retail, CentroVilla25 will provide opportunities for first-time business owners and serve diverse cuisine while promoting community engagement through events and live music.
Cleveland is set to welcome a new cultural and economic hub for the Latino community with the grand opening of CentroVilla25, a Latin-themed food hall and marketplace, on May 30, 2025. Located in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, which has the highest concentration of Hispanics in Cleveland, CentroVilla25 is designed to boost local economic development and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the area.
CentroVilla25 occupies a 32,000-square-foot warehouse that was previously used for flooring distribution. The initiative aims to address the significant lack of local businesses in Clark-Fulton, an area dominated by chain pharmacies, fast-food restaurants, dollar stores, and auto parts shops. The project has faced challenges, starting with a letter of intent to buy the building in 2017, and receiving the keys by 2019. Construction took longer than anticipated, ultimately leading to an overall project cost of approximately $14 million.
Led by the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development, whose president and CEO, Jenice Contreras, played a pivotal role in establishing CentroVilla25, the project has garnered support through various financing avenues. These included new market tax credits, county and city programs, and a fundraising campaign aimed at corporate entities and the local Latino community. The Hispanic Center for Economic Development was the first tenant to occupy CentroVilla25 in September 2024.
CentroVilla25 features 20 kiosks, with 10 designated for food stalls in the Mercado Verde and 10 for retail space in the Mercado Rosa. The kiosks will provide opportunities primarily for first-time business owners. Tenants are required to sign a three-year lease, pay a minimal base rent, and return 10 percent of their gross profits to support the marketplace. Each kiosk must be equipped by the tenants themselves, enabling them to showcase their culinary and retail offerings.
Diverse food options at CentroVilla25 are set to include specialties such as Puerto Rican coffee, Salvadorian baked goods, Cuban food, Mexican tacos, Venezuelan arepas, and Dominican rice. Additionally, there is a commercial kitchen space available for rent, providing affordable access to equipment and resources for aspiring food entrepreneurs. This kitchen promotes the development of catering operations and comes equipped with necessary resources and mentoring support.
CentroVilla25 has intentionally created an atmosphere that celebrates community. The market will host live music and various events as part of its commitment to community engagement and social gatherings among residents. While initially focused on food vendors, CentroVilla25 plans to fill retail kiosks in the future, fostering a mixed-business environment within the space.
CentroVilla25 is open to the public Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.. The marketplace is closed on Mondays.
This initiative originates from a vision inspired by Mercado Central in Minneapolis, which exemplifies how an ethnic market can stimulate local economic growth. Jenice Contreras has further highlighted the disparities in city investment, noting that nearby Ohio City has a thriving business scene, while the Clark-Fulton area has been largely overlooked. CentroVilla25 is a critical step towards rectifying this imbalance and fostering a vibrant economic landscape for the Latino community in Cleveland.
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Additional Resources
- Cleveland.com: CentroVilla25 Transformation
- Cleveland Scene: Review of CentroVilla25
- Cleveland Magazine: Latin Flavors at CentroVilla25
- News 5 Cleveland: CentroVilla25 Opening
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Latino Community in Cleveland
Author: STAFF HERE CLEVELAND WRITER
CLEVELAND STAFF WRITER The CLEVELAND STAFF WRITER represents the seasoned team at HERECleveland.com, your premier source for actionable local news and information in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and beyond, delivering "news you can use" with in-depth coverage of product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news impacting the region—backed by years of expert reporting and robust community input, including local press releases and business updates, while providing top reporting on high-profile events like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions, Cleveland International Film Festival, and holiday parades, alongside key organizations such as the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Orchestra, and Great Lakes Science Center, plus leading businesses in manufacturing and healthcare like Sherwin-Williams and University Hospitals, and as part of the broader HERE network including HEREDayton.com, offering comprehensive, credible insights into Ohio's vibrant landscape. HERE Cleveland HERE Dayton
