The Abasto Shopping centre is served by the adjoining underground station Carlos Gardel of line B metro (subte).

By the end of the 19th century, the city of Buenos Aires was expanding rapidly due to the influx of migrants from various European countries.

The town hall accepted the proposal on November 29 of that year, and passed it on to the Deliberating Council, who sanctioned it on January 8, 1889, in an ordinance approving the construction of the Mercado Central de Abasto ("Central Supply Market") on the 25,000 m² plot of land between Corrientes Avenue, Lavalle, Anchorena and Laprida streets.

The construction of the building started shortly after the sale had been approved by mayor Francisco Seeber, and the first section was inaugurated on April 1 of 1893, with a covered area of 1,300 m².

Ten years later a refrigerated storage and an ice factory were opened, to satisfy the city's hygiene standards of the times.