Kissimmee offering $100 a month rent to new businesses

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The city of Kissimmee hopes cheap rent will help bring business back to its downtown.

It's offering a prime location at the corner of Main Street and Broadway for just a $100 a month.

Channel 9 found out that kind of offer has already filled two storefronts with thriving businesses.

"A prime location is crucial to running a successful business," said Kristin Spivey with Lattitude 28 Real Estate Brokerage.

Typically, that comes at a high cost, especially if it's the first thing you spot when you drive into a city.

The businesses move out so another business can move in.

Mitt Sidwell is visiting from Canada.

He said anything that gives him more places to visit is good for the city.

"I think that's fantastic," Sidwell said.

Renting the space out for just $100 a month is a steal because Channel 9 found out filling one of the vacant storefronts just down the block costs 15 times more at around $1,500 a month.

"Some people might see it as competition, but I see it as one more business that hopefully will do well there and be forced to relocate and move downtown," Spivey said.

It's exactly what Breck's Gourmet Cookies did four years ago.

It got off the ground at the corner of Broadway and Main streets.

Once it became successful, it moved down the street and could afford to pay higher rent.

Hopefully they'll get a good tenant down there and then in three years I'll get a phone call and then they can get into one of our spaces," Spivey said

The city has already received calls from interested businesses looking to take advantage of the low rent.

The city is accepting applications until the end of June.

To find out if a business qualifies, go to wftv.com/weblinks.

WFTV