NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Here's something you definitely don't hear often: free rent.
The owners of the Shoppes at Rivergate want to add local businesses to the Madison shopping center, so they're offering free rent for new tenants.
Ben Hamd, Wyatt Woeltje and Will Hulshof are just a few people behind the plan.
They work for Brookwood Capital Advisors, founded by Hamd. The company purchased property at the Shoppes at Rivergate almost three weeks ago.
Hulshof, the company's vice president, said it's an exciting adventure.
"It does make us feel good to be able to see a finished product and the sustainability of it through the long term," said Hulshof. "The communities benefit from it, the business owners benefit from it. And so it makes us feel good and it makes the job well worth it."
Hulshof says this is something the business has been doing for quite some time in other cities. Right now, the area is surrounded by some big box stores.
Hulshof said they want to add some local shops to help the Madison community continue to grow.
"Every market is different," said Hulshof. "For this one here has been amazing tons of Facebook messages, tons of calls, lots of excitement, which we'd love to see. And it is typically something we do get a lot of excitement whenever we start marketing to these offerings."
Business owners like James Drumit are one of many who are interested in moving into one of the vacant storefronts.
"We're in a spot now, It's a destination business so people come find us. We're looking at places like this where maybe someone will just walk by and come in like, 'hey we didn’t even know this was available,'" said Drumit, who owns Seven Seas Aquatics in Hendersonville.
Drumit said owning a business is a lot of hard work and money. "The blood, sweat, tears it takes plus the money, a lot of people don't understand until you actually do it," he said.
He thinks the free rent being offered for local business owners at the Shoppes is good business for everyone.
"I grew up here and around Madison and Rivergate all my life so you know, this still feels like home I'm glad it's kind of on the upswing again," said Drumit.
The owners at the Shoppes at Rivergate offered the same incentive to business owners at their properties in Illinois and Ohio.
For more information about the vacancies at the Shoppes contact Will Hulshof by email at will@brookwoodcapitaladv.com or by phone at 915-247-9949.
