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Show Low leaders outline $5M business incubator and two‑year scholarship to keep youth local
Summary
City and district officials described a planned business incubator in the old elementary building with a $275,000 EDA planning grant, an estimated $5 million build cost and a proposed 'Show Low Promise' scholarship offering two years at MPC for qualifying graduates; board members voiced support and asked for follow-up on funding and partner roles.
Show Low city and school-district officials on Tuesday described plans for a business incubator aimed at nurturing local entrepreneurs and creating career pathways to retain youth in the White Mountains.
Morgan Brown, the city manager, presented the idea to the Show Low Unified School District board and turned the detailed presentation over to Steve North, who said the project has completed a feasibility study and earned a $275,000 planning grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. North said administrators are targeting the old elementary school on the city campus as the incubator site — a roughly 20,000-square-foot building that would be renovated to include a commercial kitchen, tenant kitchens, conference rooms, co-working and short‑term office spaces.
"We were awarded a $275,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration to plan for this project," North said, adding that 25% architectural plans and a business plan are near completion. He estimated the construction cost at about $5,000,000 and said the team plans to apply for a larger EDA construction grant in early 2026 with a goal of the facility coming online in 2027.
Brown described a parallel pre‑incubation effort with White Mountain Economic Development, which is already working with about 10–12 businesses, and said the city is contracting that group to provide interim services until the facility opens. Brown also outlined a proposed "Show Low Promise" scholarship: a two‑year scholarship for recent Show Low graduates to attend the community college partner (MPC) if they complete FAFSA, enroll at MPC, maintain a 2.75 GPA, complete 20 hours of community service and sign a pledge in eighth grade. Brown said the city has budgeted $50,000 as seed funding and that partners — including the district, county and hospital — have expressed interest in contributing.
Board members asked about partner coordination and timelines; Brown and North said partners meet quarterly and described pathways tying CTE programs, MPC courses and incubator services to local workforce needs such as construction, welding, hospitality, healthcare and light manufacturing. North emphasized the incubator is intended for short‑term tenancy (one to two years) to help businesses scale into the community.
Next steps include finishing the planning grant deliverables, forming a 501(c)(3) to support fundraising, continuing partner meetings and applying for EDA construction funding in early 2026.
Provenance: Presentation and Q&A (City manager/Steve North presentation and follow-up questions).
