“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the number of retail and service start-ups occupying downtown Dayton’s first-floor spaces,” said Melanie Wagner, Activated Spaces program chair. “Pop-Up Office is in response to the growing number of entrepreneurs who are still looking for that boost to get started but don’t necessarily need a first-floor location. The new phase also addresses a need to fill more vacant office spaces downtown. It’s a good complement to our core users, and our volunteer team is excited to launch more retail, service and office users this fall.”
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More than 90 startups have launched in downtown Dayton since 2010, and the number of small businesses is steadily growing, according to a news release.
Both Pop-Up projects match business owners and entrepreneurs with downtown property owners who have first-floor storefront or upper floor office space available for occupancy. Both programs assist new businesses with short-term leases offered at below-market rates, according to the Downtown Dayton Partnership.
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Leases ranges from three to six months, and lease rates range depending on location and size. Entrepreneurs who are interested in applying for the Pop-Up Project must submit the application before Aug. 19.
The Pop-Up Project is an initiative of several community partners including UpDayton, Downtown Dayton Partnership and the city of Dayton.
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