Tucson Small Business Center Offers One-Stop Help
By Tom Leyde
Tucson small business owners and those who want to start a small business have a new, “one-stop” location for most, if not all, of their needs.
On Oct. 9, the city of Tucson, Tucson Industrial Development Authority and Groundswell Capital celebrated the grand opening of the Tucson Small Business Center.
Located at 600 S. Meyer Ave., the center is housed in what was once Jerry’s Lee Ho Market in the historic Barrio Viejo District. The building was constructed in 1880 when Meyer Avenue was the main market street for Barrio Viejo.
The 12,000-square-foot incubator will help small businesses and entrepreneurs grow by bringing together resources, capital and community.
“You just have to make it easy,” said Dre Thompson, CEO of Tucson IDA. “We really wanted to make it this one-stop process.”
Over the years, Tucson IDA and the Tucson Small Business Program have partnered to provide thousands of hours of business education, coaching and mentoring. Those efforts have secured $2.8 million in loans and nearly $1.5 million for small business grants that have served more than 450 small businesses and startups with grants.
Locating in Barrio Viejo was due, in part, to how the business environment has changed with so many employees working from home.
The building was bought and renovated in 2008 by Haley & Aldrich, a geotechnical engineering and environmental consulting company. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, its employees began working from home. The company did not need all the space.
The building was purchased from Haley & Aldrich last December. The city contributed $925,000 of American Rescue Plan dollars to buy the building in partnership with IDA. IDA moved into its new home in January 2025. Haley & Aldrich maintains a suite in the building.
“It’s been wonderful,” Thompson said. “The response has been really, really amazing. All of our classes are full. We want to get the word out that this is available.”
Thompson said Arizona is very undercapitalized, and it’s well known that small businesses in Tucson are major job creators.
“We work with small, medium businesses and bond projects,” she said. “We’re working on the whole spectrum. We have more applications than capital.”
The center houses two nonprofit agencies: Tucson IDA and Groundswell Capital. IDA had no staff until 3½ years ago when Thompson was hired as the first CEO.
The Tucson Small Business Program also has a presence at the center. Francisca Villegas is program manager and Gisselle Coronado is small business navigator. They will help businesses apply for a first-ever business license and with the process of business additions.
There’s a large classroom/meeting room (the Vantage West Innovation Hub) which can be rented for events, such as business meetings. Free classes include homebuyer workshops, how to start a business in Tucson, and navigating cash flow. They are offered in both English and Spanish.
The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only.
For more information, call 520-837-4100 or email businesshelp@tucsonaz.gov.
