Some Ontario retail distributors who began promoting their merchandise at swap meets and artwork markets now function their very own storefronts downtown for simply $1 a month, due to a metropolis pilot program.
In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Steve Alvarez and his pals Jonathan Marcus Anaya and Roberto Corona began promoting classic clothes and sneakers on the Rose Bowl, Kobey’s Swap Meet and different flea markets all through Los Angeles County.
Within the final 4 years, Alvarez mentioned their enterprise, Avenue Tradition, grew from a part-time gig to a full-time job that they promote by social media. Alvarez mentioned clients needed extra — a retailer that they might go to.
When the Avenue Tradition trio first heard in regards to the metropolis of Ontario’s pilot retail pop-up program that will permit small enterprise house owners like themselves to lease a retail house downtown for $1 a month, Alvarez and his pals couldn’t consider it.
This system has two objectives. The primary is to reinvigorate downtown by occupying storefronts that have been beforehand vacant. Additionally it is supposed to assist native retailers navigate working a storefront for the primary time with out all of the overhead prices related to a brick-and-mortar facility.
From left, Jonathan Marcus Anaya, Steve Alvarez and Roberto Corona prepare for the ceremonial ribbon reducing of their storefront Avenue Tradition in Ontario.
(Courtesy of Eva Grello-Nakas)
The six-month $1 lease for a city-owned downtown storefront contains utilities and WiFi, mentioned Dan Bell, communications director for Ontario.
“It’ll assist these business-folks actually really feel what it’s prefer to be a enterprise proprietor and get a style for that as they transfer ahead of their entrepreneurship,” Bell mentioned.
Enterprise house owners can choose to remain within the pilot program for an additional six months after their first time period is up. After the cumulative 12 months, town will help in connecting the enterprise proprietor with a dealer to allow them to lease one other storefront and proceed their enterprise.
“These are younger those who went by the native faculties, stay right here, have household right here and we need to give them a chance to remain right here,” Bell mentioned.
Avenue Tradition’s neighbor Craft Collective is a enterprise owned by Jonas Nakas and his spouse, Ontario native Eva Grello-Nakas. The couple, who’re additionally artists, would promote their work at artwork markets however Jonas mentioned it took a variety of effort to move their gadgets throughout the area.
“We have been sort of in every single place and all the time needed someplace close to residence the place we may promote our artwork,” he mentioned.
The Craft Collective now companions with 80 artists and distributors to promote their work on consignment. It contains jewellery, clothes, images and do-it-yourself devices.
Artists and galleries already existed within the space, however they tended to be scattered throughout and never centered within the downtown space. Nakas mentioned having a storefront has introduced a little bit extra publicity to native artists by being on Euclid Avenue, within the coronary heart of downtown.
The pilot program can be bringing extra customers to the downtown space who will finally turn out to be return clients as nicely, Bell mentioned.
The efforts are all a part of Downtown Ontario Activation, a technique to rework town’s downtown into the cultural and leisure hub of Ontario.
Town is accepting functions till June 24 for a 3rd accessible storefront. As soon as this system time period is up for the present tenants, these areas will turn out to be accessible for lease to new occupants.
