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The world is full of good ideas that do not go beyond the “idea” stage. The insider information needed to launch a new business endeavor is often a deal breaker for new entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs, or those lacking resources.
Join our pop-up shop. A low-cost, low-commitment opportunity to bring great ideas to market through a temporary physical storefront.
College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation has launched a call for entrepreneurs to apply for the second round of OurShop, a starting point for small businesses. This includes six months of rent free and other business support for his storefront along Hamilton Avenue in College Hill.
Do not hesitate!
Application deadline
is January 25thth.
College Hill CURC states that OurShop is aA once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for entrepreneurs in our community to put their storefront to the test. ”
Development Coming to Hamilton Avenue
The College Hill neighborhood is located on the northwestern edge of the city of Cincinnati, about eight miles north of downtown. With an attractive number of parks and green spaces, diverse housing opportunities, and a walkable business district along Hamilton Avenue, the area is undergoing a cultural and economic renaissance as any regular visitor can attest. I have experience.
College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (College Hill CURC) is a major driving force behind many developments along this major business corridor.
Founded in 1975, College Hill CURC is a non-profit development corporation. CEO Kate Greene says the organization’s goal is to “fulfill the aspirations of the community,” with particular attention to business districts.
Kate Green, College Hill CURC CEO
“The story of College Hill is like many urban business districts that went into decline in the early 2000s,” she explains. “We have fought back from that decline.”
The Redevelopment Authority is working on a variety of projects around Hamilton Avenue, focusing on four areas: Affordable housing, economic development, small business support and community involvement.
According to Greene, part of their job is to “revive buildings that have been vacant for 10 or 15 years, bring them back to production, support small businesses that have been in business all along, and increase density throughout business districts.” It is to raise the
OurShop Comes to Hamilton Avenue
The OurShop project began several years ago as a creative solution to revitalize several run-down spaces along Hamilton Avenue, but also spurred economic development in the neighborhood.
“At the time, we had two vacant and dilapidated buildings that were ‘missing teeth’ in the business district,” Greene recalls. They provided an opportunity for economic growth.
Ismael Hassan, Community Development Manager at College Hill CURC, explains:
“So this is exactly that…and it also revitalizes storefronts in the business district.”
Ismael Hassan, College Hill CURC Community Development ManagerHassan is committed to community engagement and manages beautification and streetscape projects. He also manages the OurShop project. The program started in his August 2021 pilot and had 52 applicants in his cohort, he says.
All applications were submitted to a scoring process, College Hill CURC conducted interviews, and then hosted an open house for applicants to see available spaces. Ultimately, five applicants were selected for Round 1 of OurShop. All five are women-owned businesses.
The launch of OurShop was a partnership with YARD & Company, funded in part by a grant from the Haile Foundation. A portion of the pilot’s funds were used to refurbish two stores for tenants. The remainder was used for program expenses.
Each business was given six months of rent-free store space, Hassan said. It also provided data analysis, free publicity, mentorship and training.
All five first round participants were very successful. They have all “graduated” to their own stores in College Hill or elsewhere.
Are you ready for OurShop?
OurShop participants do not have to live in College Hill, but community ties may be helpful during the application process. There is a scoring rubric to limit subjectivity, and Greene said, most importantly, whether the business is ready for this next step and how well its services meet the needs and desires of the College Hill community. It states that they are consistent.
she says, “[We ask,] Have they been to vendor fairs? Have they been to festivals? Do they have an online presence? Are they getting an audience? Do you have a brand? ”
What kind of business works best with OurShop? The program has a wide range of parameters. Last year’s tenants included a body butter bar, a vegan cookie shop, and a party decoration store.
Greene said College Hill CURC hopes to introduce more shopping opportunities to College Hill. There are already plenty of restaurants and bars in the neighborhood, but not many daytime retail outlets.Communities are also demanding more family-friendly amenities and, as always, grocery stores.(College Hill’s full The service grocery store he closed in 2002.)
Having a “site control” of the business district helps College Hill CURC represent the community and curate what’s new to be introduced into the neighborhood.
“What we bring in is complementary to what we already have, and we take great care not to create unnecessary competition,” she explains. They don’t want to be ripped off.
The Redevelopment Corporation has found a lot of community support in these efforts.
“Our community has raised over $6 million for our work over the past few years,” Greene says. “This is huge and shows that the community buys into our vision and commitment.”
Ready to apply?
Business owners ready to take a shot at OurShop are encouraged to apply. The application is here.
Missed the deadline? do not worry! OurShop’s pilot has been so successful that the City of Cincinnati is funding two rounds of this and his Winter 2023 cohort in the future. Interested entrepreneurs should pay attention to the following applications this fall.
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