Toowoomba Regional Council to announce first tenant in innovative Creative CBD program
The first business to be selected for a pioneering Toowoomba CBD program to support start-ups and fill vacant inner-city tenancies will be announced within weeks.
Council
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The Toowoomba Regional Council, in partnership with social enterprise organisation Renew Australia, is still finalising the agreement in the Creative CBD Toowoomba program.
The project aims to fill six vacant spots in the city centre with emerging businesses that need support and incubation, as well as create commercial diversity in the CBD.
Planning and development portfolio leader Cr Bill Cahill said the program would know its first tenancy shortly.
“This is a trial program aiming to activate up to six spaces over a 12-month period,” he said.
“All expressions of interest received so far have been from within the Toowoomba region and include a range of creative enterprises including photographers, graphic designers, jewellers and arts collectives.
“After launching this program earlier this year we’re now in the process of formalising the first Creative CBD tenant agreement.
“This arrangement, and future arrangements, will be based on the Renew Australia model which is a rolling 30-day license.”
Cr Cahill said the Queensland-first initiative would hopefully lead to great outcomes for the CBD.
“This is an exciting concept which is being trialled in Queensland for the first time,” he said.
“It’s a great collaborative project between the council and community entrepreneurs that aims to complement the existing businesses in the CBD rather than competing with them.
“We look forward to announcing the first Creative CBD concept store in the coming weeks which we believe will help increase the vibrancy of our CBD while giving emerging businesses an opportunity to start up.”
For more information about the program, head to the council website.
