NEW ULM - The New Ulm Retail Development Corp. is joining hands with the New Ulm Area Foundation in an attempt to improve the looks of vacant downtown store fronts, hoping to make those stores more attractive to prospective business owners.
The store-front project, which also is being supported by private individuals and building owners, is only part of campaign to get those empty stores back to serving goods and services to the New Ulm community, according to NURDC Director Barbara Stirling.
The hope is that these artistic, historical and informative banners will stimulate interest and remind the community that there is still valuable business store fronts available in the downtown.
"The newly placed signage in the vacant retail store fronts promotes the fact that New Ulm is looking to build a larger retail community downtown, and that there are incentives available to those prospects looking to open a new retail store or expand their existing retail footage in our historic downtown area to do so," Stirling explained.
"We are proud to contribute to this program on behalf of our donors who want to be a part of the sustaining of our local economy. We also are pleased that the building owners and other private citizens are partners with NURDC in the valuable project. Prospective business owners need to know about the programs and support available to them through the NURDC," Steve Franta, president of the New Ulm Area Foundation, said.
However, that's not the whole story. In the same vein, NURDC worked in partnership to help create a program called "HeadStart to the Heart of the City," Stirling said.
That program offers incentives that "can range from rent discounts to bank loans to discounts on various products and services such as newspaper and radio advertising, legal and professional services utilities reimbursement and more, Stirling noted.
"With the success of our newest retail openings downtown and the heightened entrepreneurial spirit that currently exists, we are fairly confident that there will be more retail openings to come this year."
Ron Larsen can be reached at rlarsen@nujournal.com.
