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San Luis to evaluate business incubator; Puerza Local cohort full and small-business outreach expanding
Summary
City staff said Council approved about $25,000 to fund an evaluation of the city’s incubator space, reported the Puerza Local small-business cohort remains at 12 businesses with graduation planned for late July, and outlined planned outreach including a May 9 small-business fair and cottage-food/home-vendor education.
Economic development staff updated the commission on several business-support initiatives, including a planned evaluation of the city’s business incubator, status of the Puerza Local training program, marketing projects and outreach on a new Arizona cottage-food/home-vendor law.
Armando said the City Council approved approximately $25,000 to fund an external evaluation of the incubator facility. The consultant will review tenants, lease rates, facility uses and comparable market rates to determine whether the incubator can be made profitable or structured to better support small-business development. Staff said funding for the evaluation is expected to be available beginning July 1 and that the study will take several months.
On Puerza Local, staff reported the first cohort includes 12 businesses and that all participants remain engaged; classes are scheduled to finish in July with a tentative graduation in the last week of July. Recruitment for a second cohort will begin soon; Council has also funded a third cohort. Armando told the commission "we have 12 businesses in Puerza Local, and we still have 12 businesses. So no business has dropped the program." Commissioners said landlords and vacant storefronts on Main Street should be engaged as part of revitalization and facade-improvement efforts.
Staff described outreach plans for cottage-food/home-vendor information and a May 9 small-business fair that will include the Yuma County Health Department and other resource providers. The department said prior park-based events that paired resources with public foot traffic produced good engagement and that future outreach will combine in-person events with digital and direct outreach to business owners.
Other updates included ongoing marketing collateral work with MGM Design, facade-improvement ideas for downtown buildings, and the department’s plan to recruit property owners and developers as stakeholders in upcoming projects.
