Traveling Ladders is one of the businesses participating in next week’s Small Business Showcase.
ALPENA – In honor of National Small Business Week, the Alpena Downtown Development Authority is hosting a new event, the Small Business Showcase. The Small Business Showcase is a week-long event meant to celebrate and recognize small businesses in downtown Alpena that starts Sunday and ends with a culminating afternoon of sales from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 8.
“When people think of downtown, they often immediately think of all the cute and welcoming storefronts and restaurants where they shop and dine, and downtown is made up of so many more small businesses that don’t fit into the category of traditional retail,” said Kingsli Kraft, marketing and outreach coordinator at the Alpena DDA. “Downtown is home to over 170 small businesses of all types photography studios, hair salons, chiropractor’s offices, nonprofits, lawyer’s offices, financial services, fitness
sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
A pile of rubble was all that was left standing of the former Alpena Catholic Central High School building on Tuesday afternoon. Demolition on the building began last week in preparation for a single story office building to be constructed and leased to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The former high school’s gymnasium will become the new home for the Alpena Boys and Girls Club.
ALPENA The COVID-19 pandemic was expected to throw a monkey wrench in local development.
Thus far however, it has had little impact on projects planned before the pandemic and developers are considering future projects in the area.
sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Steve Schulwitz
Rusty Petunia owner Laura Shearer organizes some pillows at her store in Alpena on Tuesday.
Three businesses in Downtown Alpena are vying to be selected to receive $25,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Match on Main program.
Of the three, the Alpena Downtown Development Authority will submit funding applications from two of them. The MEDC could then choose one of the two for the grant.
During its meeting Tuesday, the board picked a project submitted by Family Enterprise to send to the state because all of its filing requirements were met.
Feb 24, 2021
Courtesy Photo
The above products are available at Soaps and Such in downtown Alpena. Soaps and Such is one of the merchants participating in Thursday’s Snowed In virtual shopping event on Facebook.
ALPENA The Alpena Downtown Development Authority is collaborating with six downtown merchants to host Snowed In: A Downtown Facebook Live Shopping Event from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Participating merchants include: Soaps and Such, Boudoir by Michele Zee Photography, Olivet Book & Gift, Traveling Ladders, Parallel 45 Books & Gifts and Myers’ Fashions Etc.
Downtown Merchants will go live on their own Facebook pages for 15 minutes at their designated time in the schedule below.
Feb 6, 2021
News Photo by Darby Hinkley A view of downtown Alpena from the corner of Park Place looking down Second Avenue. The DDA has launched a new Recruitment Grant Program to help attract more businesses to the downtown.
ALPENA The Alpena Downtown Development Authority has launched a new Recruitment Grant Program to encourage existing businesses to relocate or expand into Downtown Alpena.
The program offers grants up to $10,000 per business that can be used toward eligible expenses such as capital improvements, moving costs, signage, rent differential, and utility switchovers to their new location in Downtown Alpena.
Businesses must have been established for five or more years with a proven track record of success to be eligible for the program and must be entering a three-year minimum lease or purchasing property within the downtown district.