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Groundbreaking for the Shoppes at Grandon Plaza. © Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.
When our Main Street program began exploring ways to attract new businesses more actively to our downtown area, especially retail, creating an incubator space seemed like a no-brainer. Retail incubators can be powerful catalysts for community change, but they also require significant investments from your Main Street. Learn how we created our retail incubator, the challenges we faced, and the lessons we have learned from this process.
Building Up Businesses
Sterling, located in northwest Illinois, was built on innovation and entrepreneurship. It is home to one of the oldest business incubators in the state — the Sterling Small Business and Technology Center — operated by the Greater Sterling Development Corporation, which also houses the Kitchen Incubator of Northwest Illinois. Our community also features a year-round, indoor farmers market and a plethora of educational opportunities for budding entrepreneurs, including the Whiteside Area Career Center, home to our local Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities program (CEO); the Woodlawn Arts Academy; and Sauk Valley Community College, where our Illinois Small Business Development Center is located.
We were inspired by another Illinois Main Street community, Batavia, who has their own incubator at the Boardwalk Shops. After numerous conversations and a visit to their space, our plans for the “Shoppes at Grandon Plaza” began to materialize in late 2021. We organized a committee to lead this effort. With the donation of a vacant lot in our downtown (perfect for a small infill project such as this), the discounted services of a local architect, a partnership with the Whiteside Area Career Center’s (WACC) Building Trades class, and some seed money from our City’s ARPA funds, our ground-breaking took place in September 2022.
The local business community was supportive of the project from the start, investing the necessary funds for the project. Additionally, we were fortunate to be named a recipient of a 2022 T‑Mobile Hometown Grant award for the project.
Our partnership with the WACC provided a great deal of support and awareness for the project. While this required a somewhat slower construction timeline, the labor that the high school students provided brought a great deal of community pride and awareness to the project.
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The Shoppes at Grandon Plaza at Night. © Matthew Hicks.
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Display at Moonlight Apothecary, a year 1 tenant. © Janna Groharing.
Creating the Shoppes at Grandon Plaza
Six 12’ x 16’ units were initially constructed, with four additional pads providing space for future growth. Two of those pads were designed with extra electrical service to accommodate food truck parking and the ability to plug in, eliminating generator noise.
The program was designed to launch in May of 2023, providing for an 8‑month incubation period, and close in late December of the same year. Tenant recruitment began in late 2022. We were successful in recruiting 4 tenants for our first season — three businesses looking to grow from periodic vendor shows to a permanent brick-and-mortar location, and one existing business from a nearby community that was testing possible expansion to a second location.
The project was not without its hurdles. After construction delays, largely due to weather, and a number of unanticipated cost overruns, the inaugural season of the Shoppes at Grandon Plaza opened on June 7, 2023.
Unexpected Lessons
Regardless of how well prepared we thought we were for the ongoing needs of the Shoppes, we’ve learned that weren’t prepared enough. Our organization is 200 percent committed to the long-term success of the Shoppes, but there were a number of lessons quickly learned in our first year after start-up. As it turns out, construction was the easy part!
Committee Expectations
Committee members are volunteers first, and as dedicated as they are, their time is limited. Once construction was complete and the tenants were secured, meeting attendance waned — the project was done, right? Not necessarily. If you want to open an incubator space, understand that it will require ongoing support to ensure long-term success. Make sure your staff and volunteers are in this for the long haul. Have a plan for keeping current volunteers engaged and for recruiting additional supporters. Be mindful of implications on staff time as volunteer commitment fluctuates. Be prepared.
Know Your Community
One size does not fit all. How many incubator units can your community’s customer-base, existing or potential, support? What might work in a similarly sized town might not be right for your community.
Communicating with Businesses
Ongoing communication and support are a must. You have to be clear on what the expectations are for both parties. What will your Main Street organization provide by way of marketing and promotional support? What educational sessions will be provided, by whom, and when will they take place? Ensure that your tenants are fully informed and understand what is expected of them as part of the onboarding process — meeting participation, hours of operation, self-promotion, and any tasks to be shared amongst the tenants for the betterment of the incubator sites (things like taking out trash, setting out temporary signage, maintaining common areas, etc.). Be prepared to deal with requests to modify or change those expectations, especially hours of operation.
Finding Your Tenants
If you build it, they will come, right? We learned that it’s not quite that easy. Before you embark on a project like this, you need to have a targeted recruitment plan, because general marketing isn’t going to cut it. This is where those committee members and volunteers are key! Just because you have a successful farmers market, pop-up, and other vendor-focused events, doesn’t mean that those vendors will translate to incubator candidates. To find viable incubator tenants, you need boots on the ground to hit every vendor show, pop-up offering, farmers market, etc., across your region. We spent countless hours scrolling social media and cold calling on prospective candidates. To help secure the best tenants, be open to modifying the original vision for the space, whether that be hours of operation or potential uses for the space.
Shoppes at Grandon Plaza ribbon cutting. © Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.
Should You Open an Incubator?
Despite the many difficult lessons we learned throughout this process, our first season was absolutely a success. We had a spectacular set of tenants who understood that they were a part of something that was new for the area, and that we were, at times, learning the process together. We are proud to say that three of our businesses have made moves to more permanent brick and mortar locations.
Taking on an incubator, or similar micro storefront project, will be more work than you anticipate. We encourage you to be prepared. Be committed. This was a huge investment for our organization, and while we are excited by the results so far, we know there is a lot of work still to come. As with all things Main Street, slow, incremental growth will be key. If you decide to open an incubator in your community, we hope you learn from our experiences. Be prepared to pivot, be prepared to innovate, and be prepared to celebrate the wins.
Redevelopment Resources, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter’s Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about the services they provide to Main Street organizations, click here >
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Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Center of the Yarniverse
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting The Bankery
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting BuzzBomb Brewing
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting The Owl Wine Bar & Home Goods
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting Griff Goods
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting Mockingbird Bar and Tacos
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
Economic Gardening Takes Root: Redesigning the Bricks & Clicks Business Retention Program During the Pandemic
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance explores how they redesigned their Bricks & Clicks Business Retention Program during the pandemic.
Business Spotlight: Women-Owned Businesses on Main Street (Part 3)
Meet some amazing women business owners!
Local Impact: Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday® is more than a day to shop. It’s a nationwide movement that shines a spotlight on the importance of supporting small businesses in communities across America.
Community Spotlight: Benson, North Carolina
The Town of Benson started a special project to highlight their downtown businesses.
Community Spotlight: Berkley, Michigan
The Berkley Downtown Development Authority (DDA) proudly debuted its Downtown Berkley Shopping Bag for a Cause through a partnership between Better Life Bags.
Main Spotlight: Learnings from the ESHIP Summit
Supporting new and existing small businesses, and the entrepreneurs who run them, represents a vital aspect of the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood business districts.
Creating Equitable, Inclusive and Transparent Cities: A Year in Review
The Equitable Economic Development Fellowship is a two-year, one million-dollar effort funded by the Surdna Foundation and the Open Society Foundations to help equity, transparency, sustainability and community engagement become driving forces in local economic development efforts.
Community Spotlight: Mini-Grants Offered to Small Businesses in Jefferson, Iowa
The Jefferson Rotary Club partnered with Jefferson Matters: Main Street to offer mini-grants for building facades and storefront signage to two dozen businesses for up to $500 each.
A Memorable Makeover on Main Street
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with Retailworks, Inc., a commercial interior design, display and branding firm headquartered in Milwaukee, to launch Wisconsin’s Main Street Makeover Contest.
Creative Discovery on the Maker Trail in Enid, Oklahoma
Kelly Tompkins of Main Street Enid shares more about the Maker Trail project and how it inspired creativity and helped people discover downtown.
City Sidewalks, Dressed in Holiday Style
Too often, as we’re strolling our favorite Main Street, we pass empty or dark shop windows that make us want to hurry home a little bit faster. Imagine instead, a charming streetscape adorned with vibrant, lively window displays, showcasing retailers’ favorite products and seasonal gift ideas.
Community Spotlight: #ShopSmall in Goldsboro, North Carolina
Small Business Saturday promo pic from Downtown Goldsboro, North Carolina, showing all the folks who took the pledge support a small business in their community.
Using Local Search Trends to Attract More Customers to Your Main Street
We’ve put together a practical list of some of the things that local store owners can do right now to help them capitalize on this increasing trend in local searches.
Network Spotlight: Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week
From authentic comfort food to farm-to-fork fresh and everything in between, these restaurants, bars, and cafes are key to the thriving social, business, and residential life in the historic commercial districts in Main Street Iowa communities.
Fab Lab Sparks Rural Opportunities
Located in southeast Kansas, Independence (pop.8,799) is home to Fab Lab ICC, which is on track to be the world’s leading innovator in combining entrepreneurial mindset education with a fab lab maker space.
Community Spotlight: Morganton, North Carolina
The craft beer industry is playing a key role in the rebirth of Main Streets and neighborhood commercial districts across the county.
Rethink Storefront Accessibility to Rethink Community Viability
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
Sparking a Movement in Small Business and Small Towns
Being the only person in the know can be fun, exhilarating even. Except when you are the one person out of 600+ in a room and you know bad news is coming.
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Pop-Up Altavista 2.0
Altavista On Track, the local Main Street organization, is working to cultivate and sustain local entrepreneurs with an educational business launch competition, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0.
The Bright Center: A Space for Winchester’s Bright Minds to Create, Innovate and Thrive
In Winchester, Virginia, one woman’s vision and commitment to downtown’s revitalization created an innovative community space for the Creative Class.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Business Investment Guides: “Think B.I.G.”
The first rule of conducting business is “make it simple.” The easier it is to pay for merchandise, get entertainment or obtain a service, the more likely it is that people will take advantage of those options.
Small Box – A Creative Retail Project
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
Supporting Immigrant Entrepreneurs in the Heart of Boston’s Main Streets
To understand the role that immigrant business owners play in Boston’s small business ecosystem, you need only to walk through any Boston Main Streets district.
Measuring the Economic Impact of Storefront Improvements
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
Sign Design Guidelines
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
Improving Performance in Main Street Iowa Communities
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
