Brooklyn Park to Open Small Business Incubator in 2023

City officials in Brooklyn Park hope a $7.3 million investment in an under-utilized shopping center will help small businesses grow and thrive.

“There are so many struggles that come with owning a business, and if a space like this is gonna be created to help us have more opportunity to expand our businesses or put our business out there and make it worthwhile, that’s an awesome thing,” said Ellen Chea, who owns a clothing store in Brooklyn Center called House of Queens.

Chea is one of more than a dozen small business owners who came out to an open house Tuesday night for Brooklyn Park’s new small business center project.

In October, the city’s Economic Development Authority purchased the Northwind Plaza strip mall located at Brooklyn Boulevard and West Broadway Avenue for $7.3 million.

The goal is to convert the vacant storefronts into a business incubator, where entrepreneurs can have access to the technical assistance and resources they need to succeed.

“Cause that’s really what a lot of businesses need is just a little bit of help getting over that hump,” said Daniela Lorenz, the business development coordinator for Brooklyn Park. “Maybe it’s a mentor or a good network or just a new space that’s really updated, so it’s both an investment in our entrepreneurs, but there’s also gonna be a community space in here.”

People looking at artistic renderings of what the Brooklyn Park small business center could look like.

The city is still deciding on what the space would look like, and what sort of entrepreneurs would be appropriate for the small business center. Lorenz stated that a restaurant or commercial kitchen would not be considered for the space.

City officials expect the small business center to open early in 2023.

See also: Brooklyn Park Seeks to Buy Northwind Plaza for Small Business Market

Brooklyn Park