Those colorful nodes of commerce in remade shipping containers along the BeltLine’s Eastside and Westside trails are apparently just the beginning.

Atlanta BeltLine Inc. says the MarketPlace program it launched last year as means of incubating small local businesses has proven successful. So the agency is launching its next cycle this week for the year spanning between 2024 and 2025.

The goal is to lower the barrier into business for local entrepreneurs who occupy more affordable retail space in customized containers along the BeltLine—and have immediate exposure to its more than 2 million annual visitors. BeltLine officials say the goal is to eventually expand MarketPlace locations around the 22-mile trail loop, with funding from Atlanta’s philanthropic community helping to scale up.

As of this week, BeltLine officials are encouraging all businesses to apply, though priority will be given to Minority Business Enterprises and others owned by women, veterans, families, and LGBTQ+ community members, per the agency.

Some businesses are also picked for an incubator program that teaches everything from cash flow to marketing.

The BeltLine's Indie Market Experience under an overpass in Old Fourth Ward. Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

BeltLine CEO and president Clyde Higgs said many of the program’s “first group of alumni… are going on to open permanent locations along the Atlanta BeltLine” in a Monday announcement. During its initial season, through the end of third quarter 2023, six small businesses selected by the BeltLine last year have generated more than $150,000 in sales, per the agency.

Businesses are required to meet specific criteria to qualify. That includes being in business for at least a year; having an annual revenue of at least $50,000; and employing at minimum two people who are capable of working at least five hours per day, seven days a week, at a MarketPlace location.

A MarketPlace hub along the Westside Trail. Photography by Matt Miller; courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

A $750,000 grant from the Kendeda Fund helped design and build retail locations and set the program in motion, while a $250,000 grant from Google continues to support the effort, according to BeltLine officials. Financial and payment services tech company Fiserv is equipping each business with a management system to ensure secure transactions.

The MarketPlace program covers space construction and tenant buildout costs and offers what the BeltLine calls competitive lease rates, all below market value.

The BeltLine’s application process for businesses opened this week, and the deadline to apply is Oct. 30. Find more details here.

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