Title
Gateway Community College
Description
For $35,000.00 in payment authority to fund a feasibility study on a culinary support services hub. The City, in partnership with the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation at GateWay Community College of the Maricopa Community College District, seeks to facilitate a feasibility study for the adaptive reuse of a vacant commercial property into a culinary support services hub for K-12 and community college education, business incubation, workforce development, and training purposes. The goal of the feasibility study is to determine the market to support a commercial culinary hub and to prepare a preliminary business plan addressing the potential to convert a vacant property into a culinary incubation center. The study, which will conclude in summer 2020, will include key stakeholder interviews, potential user interviews, market data analysis, review of industry best practices, on-site tours of existing and successful food industry incubation programs. This study aligns with the Community and Economic Development Department's action plan to cultivate entrepreneurship and emerging enterprise ecosystems by supporting incubator and accelerator space, mentoring and business planning to promote and facilitate business ownership, in addition to assisting in retaining and expanding food-related businesses in support of the City’s 2050 Local Food System Sustainability Goal. There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding is available in the Downtown Community Reinvestment Fund.