Page 12 - LRCC May 2023 FOCUS

#LOVELANSING FOCUS MAGAZINE | MAY 2023

Downtown

Lansing Welcomes
New Middle Village

Micro Market

Merchants

A
new round of Middle Village
Micro Market merchants
set up shop and debuted
in the shared retail space at 112 S.
Washington Square in Downtown
Lansing on Saturday, March
18. Middle Village Micro-Market
is a shopping experience that
fosters local entrepreneurship.
Each year the program invites
local small businesses to open
retail storefronts in the heart of
Downtown Lansing, giving them the chance to test • Coco Bella Fashion Boutique: Fashion focused on
their concepts and perfect their products, all while empowering women through their clothing choices.
growing their brand and customer base. • Ornamaloo: An artisan jewelry & vintage pottery
boutique.
This one-stop retail store was first created by • The Goldmine: An Artist Umbrella Production
Downtown Lansing Inc. with the support of Lake Trust • 2 Blondes & a Brush: Home décor, gifts, and hand-
Credit Union. The program helps remove barriers painted furniture.
to store ownership while creating strong, viable • Sylvia’s Sudsery: Luxurious artisan soaps that make
businesses that add local jobs and improve the local your bath a spa experience.
economy in a significant way. • Nubian Jewelry: Bringing Nubian culture and
fashion to the people.
As part of the program, each merchant attends the
Small Business Learning Series, a monthly training “Downtown Lansing Inc. is proud to support small
series tailored to small business development. The businesses with a special focus on women and BIPOC-
Small Business Learning Series partners with Lake owned businesses and offer retail entrepreneurs a shared
Trust Credit Union, the Capital Region Small Business space to sell their products. We are excited to share that
Development Center, The Lansing Regional Chamber 100% of past Middle Village Micro Market graduates
of Commerce, Allen Neighborhood Center, and are still in business and 80% have opened permanent
Lansing Regional Smart Zone to provide educational storefronts in the Lansing Region,” says Julie Reinhardt,
programming across industries. Director of Downtown Community Development. Middle
Village Micro Market is proudly powered by Lake Trust
2023 Middle Village Micro Market retailers include: and is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. l

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