Hialeah mayor offers free rent for a year to spur business growth in east area
In an unusual move to spur business growth, Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo is offering free rent for a year to businesses who open up shop on a particular city property.
“We are looking to bring exciting new businesses to the city,” Calvo told the Miami Herald.
The idea is to try to attract new businesses to the city, or to support existing local businesses that are looking to expand, he said. The city hopes the program will attract a wider mix of entertainment and lifestyle businesses, such as coffee shops, restaurants, yoga or Pilates studios and gyms to East Hialeah.
The property at Palm Centre, located at 240 E. First Ave. near Palm Avenue and East First Street, is a city-owned mixed-use complex with both residential and commercial spaces, though the free-rent offer applies only to the commercial units.
Built in 1987, the two-story building spans approximately just under 60,000 square feet. Records show it operates as a multi-unit commercial complex, with room for 27 commercial units.
While some storefronts in the building are currently vacant, most of the spaces remain occupied by medical businesses whose leases are expected to expire within about six months. The city expects to begin accepting applications now so new tenants can move in shortly after the existing leases end.
Current tenants will not be allowed to renew their leases under the proposed plan, the mayor said, because the city is seeking businesses that fit a different vision for the area.
“The goal for this year is to get the application process underway now, so that by the time those current leases expire, we’ll already have the new tenants lined up and ready to go,” Calvo said.
Based on those submissions, the city, as the property owner, will essentially decide which businesses will be offered incentives to encourage them to open up shop there, Calvo said.
Business owners interested in participating must complete an application form available through Calvo’s Instagram account or the City of Hialeah website. Applicants are required to submit a business plan, photos of their products or proposed setup, logo and branding materials, and a pre-application from the city’s Business Tax Department.
Some Hialeah residents have characterized the proposal as a form of socialism, while others have celebrated the intent behind it. Asked about the criticism, Calvo described the rent-free program as a temporary incentive intended to encourage investment and revitalize a part of the city officials believe has redevelopment potential.
“It is a short-term incentive designed to try to stimulate economic growth in this specific area,” he said.
