Hackensack org offers free rent to fill empty downtown storefronts

As a way to attract entrepreneurs to downtown Hackensack – and to fill commercial vacancies – the Main Street Business Alliance is providing free rent for a few months in select retail spaces within the special improvement district.

A joint effort between the Main Street Business Alliance and property owners, the “Pop-Up on Main” program is open to small businesses, both startup and established, that are interested in setting up temporary shops on Main Street.

In a May 15 press release announcing the initiative, MSBA Executive Director John Peters described it as “a perfect example of what can happen when you bring the business community and property owners together to think outside the box to address some vacancies.”

“Our mission is to address the issues facing the business community with the goal of improving the local economy and the overall business climate in Hackensack. What better way to accomplish this than to bring some new energy to Main Street in the form of entrepreneurs who want to start storefront businesses?” said Peters, who added that there are already two participating property owners with five potential spaces for the program.

As part of the effort, potential tenants are connected with property owners who have empty storefronts within the district, the MSBA said. Along with assistance from the alliance in navigating the city’s zoning process, pop-up shop owners will receive “free rent for a few months,” the release said.

According to a spokesperson for the alliance, the program is open-ended for now and the rent-free offer will be determined by the needs of the retailer and space.

Established 18 years ago as a public-private partnership between the business community and city, the MSBA is focused on revitalizing downtown Hackensack into a 24-hour destination for business, arts, culture, dining and other special events.

The SID – which extends along Main Street from Clinton Place to Sussex Street – encompasses 160 properties and more than 375 businesses, according to the alliance.

Peters, an entrepreneur with decades of experience in tourism, business and technology who was named in March to lead the MSBA, said, “Main Street in Hackensack is a thriving community of retail locations and new residential buildings. This is the perfect way for a potential tenant to come in, give Main Street a try, and get access to the thousands of residents on Main Street.”

Interested parties should email [email protected] or visit www.downtownhackensack.org