Applications now being accepted
November 3, 2022
The Shoppes at Grandon Plaza, a retail incubator project by Sterling Main Street, is being designed to attract small businesses, create more retail shopping options, and bring people into downtown Sterling. Its inaugural season will open in the spring of 2023!
The long-term goal of this project is to continue to foster entrepreneurship in Sterling and the greater Sauk Valley region, specifically as it relates to retail shopping. To provide a structured setting for new businesses to test their market, while also providing the ongoing educational support and training for those entrepreneurs to help ensure their best chance of long-term success in a competitive and challenging retail environment. And further, to provide a pipeline of new businesses to keep storefronts occupied and add to the prosperity of the communities in which they locate.
As construction of the incubator units continues, the Application Portal for prospective businesses is now open. Applications will be accepted until December31, 2022 at 5:00 PM.
Applications will be reviewed in early 2023 and Vendors will be notified of their acceptance in February 2023. Possession of the units will be delivered to vendors at the beginning of April and vendors will have one month to customize their spaces prior to the May 2023 opening.*
An independent jury will review all applications and select the vendors for the 2023 season. The jury committee will strive for diversity in vendor offerings, and applications will be reviewed with this in mind.
For more information on the application process and the online application form, please visit https://sterlingmainstreet.org/sgpvendors/, or contact Sterling Main Street Executive Director, Janna Groharing at 815-626-8610 or by email at janna@sterlingmainstreet.org
*Please note that Sterling Main Street will do it’s best to adhere to this timeline. As the incubator units are currently under construction, modifications to the timeline may be needed due to unforeseen construction delays. Every effort will be made to keep vendors, once selected, fully informed on the construction process.
