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Old shipping containers used to help Austin entrepreneurs grow their business

Get ready to see these shipping containers pop up in East Austin.

AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin is rolling out a new project to help small business grow.

The pilot project is called Box Bazaar and the unique part is that the businesses would be working out of old shipping containers. It’s aimed to help entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. It's something the city has never done before.

The construction is already underway in East Austin. This neighborhood center is located at 3511 Manor Rd., just past Airport Boulevard. Five to six businesses are expected to occupy the space, ranging from a mother-daughter fashion boutique to a remodeling firm.

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The city said the businesses they selected have a connection to the area. The goal is to help some of these small businesses get off their feet in an underserved community.

“For one it creates a neighborhood center for the community of the community by the community and second it provides these equitable economic development opportunities for folks that have a great business idea but might need a little help getting over that barrier to start their own business,” said Matt Dugan with the City of Austin’s Planning and Zoning Department.

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These shipping containers are about the size of parking space. They come with a window and air conditioning. With live music and family events, the area is meant to benefit the community too.

“In the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, one of the ideas that came out of it was to have these complete communities throughout Austin so places where there's arrange housing types, there are opportunities for people to have retail and job opportunities and transportation opportunities as well,” said Dugan.

If this becomes a success, then the city will pick up those boxes and try them out in another neighborhood. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

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