HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – "It works if you work it."
That's the message Alabama Fashion Alliance founder Ellena "LeJeune" Smith has for north Alabama startups looking to set up shop in the 6-month-old Clinton Row Project in downtown Huntsville.
Clinton Row Project business owners joined Huntsville City Council President Mark Russell at Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new downtown shopping area. (Steve Doyle | sdoyle@al.com)
The first-floor Downtown Storage facility on Jefferson Street and Clinton Avenue officially opened this spring as a small business retail incubator to help entrepreneurs get their concepts off the ground.
Smith launched a boutique at Clinton Row three months ago and has already outgrown her 10x10 space, but it's taken some legwork.
"You can't say that just because you have a small business spot that people are automatically going to flock to you," she said. "You really have to stay engaged in the community."
Not a generic retail experience
Anchored by Elkmont goat cheese creamery Belle Chevre, Clinton Row is building momentum in the center city and across the world. This summer, Downtown Huntsville, Inc. took home a downtown merit award from the International Downtown Association for its work related to the project.
Chad Emerson, chief executive officer of Downtown Huntsville, Inc., said Clinton Row was a brand new concept for the city when it was announced early this year. As the months tick by, Emerson has been surprised by how little turnover there has been inside the facility.
"The thing I'm most excited about is that most people, when they learn about it and visit it and come to the events, they leave interested," he said. "Not a lot of people leave saying that's just another generic retail experience. ... It's got that eclectic vibe that is very authentic."
Although her business will close this month, Clinton Row has been a positive venture for Huntsville resident and L/E Art Gallery founder Annie Condit.
Before landing a new position at MindGear Labs, Condit and fellow Clinton Row tenant Christina Wegman had been looking around downtown Huntsville for a permanent combined space to expand their galleries, but Condit said many of the storefronts they toured were too big and expensive.
"The owners want to sell or lease the entire building rather than breaking it up or developing it," she said. "If we want a bustling downtown, we need more small, affordable spaces available to entrepreneurs."
Because first-floor vacancies are hard to come by in the center city, Emerson said the lack of supply can present challenges for startup retail businesses hoping to grow into the downtown area.
Long-term goal
Wegman, who runs Christina Wegman Fine Art at Clinton Row, said she plans to stay at the incubator as she works to expand her art gallery and audience. To make a small business work at Clinton Row, Wegman said entrepreneurs "have to be organized and serious about putting in the hours."
"If you're not here and it's not open, people won't come through," she said. "You have to be here regularly every day and make it clear what your hours are and what you're offering."
Before the Downtown Storage building was converted 15 years ago, it was a furniture store and farm implement. The long-term goal is to repurpose the facility, which is across the street from artisan coffeemaker Kaffeeklatsch.
Emerson said Clinton Row will continue to develop innovative ways to help small businesses in Huntsville grow and be successful. For more details, click here.