Future of Small Business Incubator discussed

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A resource for prospective small businesses in Chattanooga was at the forefront of a lengthy discussion Wednesday.

The Hamilton County Business Development Center on the Northshore has been an incubator for start-up business for many years.

Wednesday, a one-year extension on the lease, including six million dollars in deferred maintenance, was agreed to by the County Commission.

The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce says the facility has generated over five hundred new businesses and over 70 million dollars in economic impact, and says demand for the space is high.

“Right now we are at full capacity for manufacturing space, we have two companies that are in the wings. We are at full capacity for office… We had two companies pitch this week for office space. Right now we cannot accommodate both of them,” said the CEO of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, Charles Wood.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said they are looking to increase partnership opportunities between the county and incubator.