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Grow Downtown matches entrepreneurs with storefronts; soap shop owner describes merchandise
Summary
The Grow Downtown program aims to connect local entrepreneurs with vacant storefronts. A soap shop owner described handcrafted soaps, bath products and other locally sourced items as part of that effort.
A city program called Grow Downtown is promoting locally owned small businesses by connecting entrepreneurs with vacant storefronts in downtown St. Paul.
The program aims to encourage residents and people already invested in the community to open small businesses downtown. "The idea here for the Grow Downtown program was really to play matchmaker between these entrepreneurs that we have right here in our very own community and these great storefronts," a Grow Downtown program representative said.
A small-business owner taking part in the program described offerings at a downtown soap shop, including handcrafted soaps, shower steamers, bath bombs, bath salts, lotions and responsibly sourced crystals. The owner said the shop also carries locally produced items such as maple syrup and works to create a destination experience "you can't get online" for downtown visitors and residents.
The representative said the program is part of a broader effort to expand downtown as more residents move in, noting an "envisioned" increase of about 20,000 residents in the coming years. No formal vote or funding details were provided in the remarks.
