ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Business owners on Cherokee Street are working to build on the neighborhood\u2019s comeback by helping the next generation of entrepreneurs get started.<\/p>\n
Ana Vazquez has been perfecting her recipe for nearly 20 years with her husband at Diana\u2019s Bakery on Cherokee Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like this is our hometown. We love to be here and part of our Hispanic people,\u201d Vazquez said.<\/p>\n
They named the business for their daughter and have been slowly expanding and growing along with their neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we started here 20 years ago, there were only two or three businesses. We felt like it was a good place to open a business,\u201d Vazquez said.<\/p>\n
Vazquez is opening a second location down the street to help her keep up with growing demand for cakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel happy and comfortable, and I never thought my business could grow that much,\u201d Vazquez said.<\/p>\n
Cherokee Street thrived in the city\u2019s golden years as a business district with a streetcar and department stores. After decades of decline, storefronts like Diana\u2019s have been part of a renaissance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat makes Cherokee Street special is its history,\u201d said Ashley Johnson-White, who works with the Cherokee Street Community Improvement District, which collaborates with the diverse group of businesses that now line the street.<\/p>\n
Johnson-White believes it is still a good place to start a new business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose things that made the district special never changed. It\u2019s unique and exciting and keeps attracting people,\u201d Johnson-White said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re willing to come in and work hard, Cherokee Street is for you,\u201d Johnson-White said.<\/p>\n
The Pulse Project<\/p>\n
Johnson-White helped launch the Pulse Project, an effort to fill empty storefronts in the neighborhood by working with property owners to offer a low-cost solution for fledgling businesses. Instead of monthly rent, businesses pay 10% of their monthly sales on a six-month lease.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really about addressing the need, which is vacancy. A lot of time, we\u2019re talking about vacancy as a standalone topic and entrepreneurship as standalone topics and I wanted to link the two,\u201d Johnson-White said.<\/p>\n
The program is starting with a handful of properties, including a few owned by Will Lieberman, the owner of the Golden Record.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like we\u2019re stable but progressing,\u201d Lieberman said.<\/p>\n
For Lieberman, it is about activating foot traffic on the street and bringing back its energy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were similar things in the past that others had participating. We had a similar methodology in our business that was similar. When you have something that\u2019s underutilized, it\u2019s irresponsible not to use that,\u201d Lieberman said.<\/p>\n
Lieberman said he could charge market rent for his properties instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might be the catalyst that lets them know that Cherokee exists. We\u2019d hope that these businesses have the traction to stay for years to come,\u201d Lieberman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want businesses that activate the street and make people feel like they\u2019re in a special place,\u201d Lieberman said.<\/p>\n
Jill Abousie has joined in with one of her buildings, too. Her company, City Restoration and Revival, has transformed a number of properties nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s contagious. When you see someone improving their home, others do as well. It really initiates improvement in the whole block,\u201d Abousie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to find the right business for the spot and that the business is contributing to the health of the street. This is a way for me to give back,\u201d Abousie said.<\/p>\n
Businesses have to go through a screening process, and part of the program is about making sure they have support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re really looking for is that the businesses are ready to scale up,\u201d Johnson-White said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want them to be alone. I have a mentorship program where they can call other businesses and form a community around the Pulse Project,\u201d Johnson-White said.<\/p>\n
Safety and events<\/p>\n
Cherokee Street has also been improving public safety. In the next year, the district plans to spend around $35,000 on beautification and another $60,000 on security.<\/p>\n
Big events have helped reignite the neighborhood, though Cherokee Street canceled its large Cinco de Mayo celebration due to rising costs. Other big events are still bringing in large crowds this fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe things that are really exciting are the new events the last couple years. Thousands of people. Data says it\u2019s similar to Cinco de Mayo. Our numbers for jazz crawl are almost as big. There\u2019s still a catalyst here for people on the street,\u201d Lieberman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have more businesses, we\u2019re going to have more safety on Cherokee Street,\u201d Vazquez said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dream for this neighborhood is more businesses coming to Cherokee so we can grow more and more, so we can feel like back home,\u201d Vazquez said.<\/p>\n
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