'Made In Utica' Will Create New Retail Space In Bagg's Square

Made in Utica is set to bring a new life to a vacant property owned by the city of Utica with "Handshake City," a retail and art space in Bagg's Square West.

According to the Observer-Dispatch, the proposed "Handshake City" would use about 4,000 square feet of space at Whitesboro and Railroad streets for a 'container park.'

Container parks repurpose shipping containers for use as things like storefronts and stages for performances.

Justin Parkinson of Made in Utica told the O-D he wants to see development in the area that would make Bagg's Square more walkable and help connect the east and west parts of the neighborhood.

“Obviously, we want to put development in here,” Parkinson said. “We would just rather it be park-style development that goes to creative use and creative art. If it means keeping containers here, putting more containers on them and having that become its own identity? Awesome. But if it means packing up and this left as a park in three years, that’s good too," Parkinson told the O-D.

The O-D also reports that Utica City officials including Mayor Rob Palmieri are supportive, and you can read more about the project, including more plans for the future of Bagg's Square at UticaOD.Com.

You can also learn more about container parks by taking a look at Las Vegas' family-friendly 'Downtown Conatainer Park' in the video below.

Congrats to 'Made in Utica' for doing their best to revitalize the 'Handshake City' with new ideas that residents and visitors should love.