Commercial Development

NEDCO's commercial development work has primarily focused on the revitalization and historic preservation of the Whiteaker neighborhood in Eugene. We have completed development of five such projects since 1979.

New! Hatch: A Business Incubator

Hatch: A Business Incubator (Hatch) is looking for four micro-entrepreneurs who are ready to grow their business to participate in the Hatch program. Business owners running a small business with five or fewer employees qualify for this chance to work with the Hatch team to expand their operations into a visible commercial space in revitalizing downtown Springfield. Participants will receive affordable office or retail space for their operation, technical assistance to help them grow their business, and access to affordable capital. Small businesses are the state's primary job creators year after year. Eighty-six percent of all businesses in Oregon are classified as microenterprises or businesses with 5 or fewer employees. This program, a partnership between NEDCO and eDev, is designed to encourage economic growth for business owners and community alike.

The Hatch project is an important step toward bolstering and nurturing small businesses during a time when they may be uncertain about whether to expand. This program offers a partnership with business owners—making the leap from a small, non-retail space to a public retail storefront less risky. Program participants will be offered a one-year renewable lease with the aim of eventually spinning off businesses to locate or co-locate in downtown Springfield.

"This program has the potential to generate positive economic activity in the downtown Springfield area—not only at Hatch businesses, but throughout the area," said Claire Seguin, NEDCO's Executive Director. "Businesses who participate in the program will have access to a wealth of resources to help them succeed and to take their business to the next level."
Applications for the program are available online through NEDCO's homepage at www.nedcocdc.org and paper copies are available upon request. The Hatch space is located at 216 Main Street in Springfield.

NEDCO (Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to collaboratively build human and capital assets to strengthen neighborhoods and broaden participation in community ownership and governance. NEDCO was established in 1979 as Oregon's first Community Development Corporation. Over the past three decades, we have revitalized communities, built affordable homes, and assisted over 11,000 people to manage finances to build assets such as homeownership and small business.

eDev is a nonprofit microenterprise development organization whose mission is to provide business development services to individuals to help them launch or expand a small business and to communities to economically strengthen and diversify their economies. We help individual businesses with five or fewer employees that require $35,000 or less in start-up capital. eDev (formerly Lane MicroBusiness) was started in 1998 as a collaborative program of Lane Community College, Saturday Market and O.U.R. Federal Credit Union.

For more information, and to get involved, Contact Us!