This is a great idea (sort of born from Friends & Fashion and a thrift store I once ran on Warren called Rondo): the Downtown Alliance has a new initiative called RE:Store to help small businesses find a home.

The program will lease several vacant storefronts for temporary pop-up retail opportunities for qualified, short-term tenants. Businesses selected for the program will receive free rent for three months in high-traffic retail locations throughout the neighborhood, in addition to a $15,000 grant for tenant improvements and operating expenses. Expert support for insurance questions, legal matters, permitting and more will be provided, as well as marketing and communications services.

Applications open on January 12; notification to accepted tenants goes out March 23; opening day is May 25 and closing day is September 15. (Summer isn’t the best time to try out retail, but hey, it’s free!)

The program is open to established businesses, artists, non-profits, new small businesses, or even “a creative thinker looking to try out a retail concept.” No onsite food-and-beverage prep is allowed, but distribution from an offsite licensed production facility or kitchen is allowed.