The second-floor office at West Third and Broadway streets will soon be home to the Greater West Dayton Incubator.
Juanita Darden, the group's executive director, said the 4,000 square-foot space will enable her team to offer all of its programs under one roof, including microloans, business bootcamps and consultations.
"Anytime you have new development into a space that has been blighted, it gives you hope in knowing that there is an opportunity waiting for you," Darden said.
"Miss Juanita is down the street and Miss Juanita will help you with your business. A combination of all of those things sometimes is enough for someone to keep moving forward."
The Greater West Dayton Incubator is a University of Dayton initiative. The school received a combined $1.8 million dollars in state and federal money for this project. Additionally, the city of Dayton also provided $650,000 dollars in grants.
Darden also hopes the new location will make the group more accessible to all levels of entrepreneurs.
She said the incubator is about five years old and there are still many people who don't know about the services it provides. Darden is an entrepreneur and a former coffee shop owner who knows the value of getting positive support when running a small business.
"I've got some computers that you can use, all the supplies that you need and the biggest piece of it is we have myself and other people who come into the incubator to assist that will help you write your business plan for anyone who's interested," said Darden.
The university signed a 10-year lease and expects to open the location early next year.
