Known by some as one of the most violent corners of Albany, the intersection of First and Quail streets is getting a remodel thanks to some college students and volunteer organizations.

After months of behind the scenes work and on-the-ground cleanup, local college students, including Bishoy Yousseff, are seeing their hard work come to fruition.

“This actually used to be a very damaged kind of area and now it looks way better. You can actually see it with the garden and stuff,” says Yousseff, a senior at Russell Sage. “It feels great. Actually, it’s nice to see the community blossoming again.”

The organizations that led the transformation, Eden’s Rose Foundation and Grateful Villages, credit their interns from local colleges for making it happen.

“A lot of people are looking for a place where they could sell or present or share what they do, so this is like kind of a more informal version of a farmers market,” says Jodi Sheldon, outreach coordinator with Grateful Villages.

It’s an open air space with three tents where people can come anytime, dawn to dusk. They can reserve a spot, sell and give away the things they grow and create.

“By just creating a space here with a different kind of vibe or opportunity, I think, will bring in the right kind of energy intentions and people who are looking to make this community as beautiful as it really is, but sometimes, it’s hard to see,” says Sheldon.

The goal is to keep it ever changing, but always representative of the neighborhood.

“It’s exciting, and I’m more excited to see people actually use the space and enjoy it,” says Kathleen Nielsen, a Russell Sage student.

For the college interns like Nielsen, it’s a step toward bigger change.

“Its prior reputation has been not great. It would be a little hang-out center for the most not promising activities to be here, so now we’re actually creating a safer space. We have it fenced up, so you feel a little bit more protected when you’re inside, and we were able to sell local goods here, and then, also, voice opinion about certain things,” says Nielson.

For more information and to reserve a spot, e-mail communitycorner@edensrose.com.