As Brisbane recovers from COVID lockdown the Brisbane City Council is bringing the suburbs back to life by encouraging pop-up use of empty suburban shopfronts.
Suburban Shopfront Activation is an innovative pilot program that encourages property owners with vacant premises in Brisbane suburbs to provide temporary use of their spaces to emerging businesses.
Emerging Business Owners
This program will provide eligible emerging home-based or online businesses the opportunity to try a bricks and mortar store to showcase their products and build awareness of their brand. The interest and activity these new and exciting businesses generate will help in revitalizing suburban shopping strips.
Eligible emerging businesses include:
- start-ups
- social enterprises
- not-for-profit organisations
- creative entrepreneurs
- home businesses that want to try out having a commercial space.
Vacant shopfront owners
An active storefront is more appealing and marketable than an empty shop. A pop-up occupancy licence allows a property owner to lease a premises for the short-term, providing temporary activation while still marketing the property for a long-term tenant.
The premises need to be:
- outside of the Brisbane Central Business District
- vacant, unused or awaiting redevelopment
- located in suburban shopping strips (not indoor shopping centres)
- safe for immediate use
- usable with functioning utilities (e.g. electricity)
- available for short-term use (minimum of 30 days).
Register your interest
If you are the owner of a premises in a suburban shopping strip that has been vacant for more than six weeks or an emerging business interested in a pop-up tenancy, you can register your interest for the Suburban Shopfront Activation program here.