THE NEW MECCA FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

• Author: Arneson, Tessa

The 9th South corridor has become a wellspring of women-owned businesses. And the hottest place to open a business in Salt Lake City.

You may have seen the changes happening on 900 South in the area of Downtown Salt Lake City known as Liberty Wells. Businesses such as Publik, Laziz Kitchen, Chip Cookies, Pulp Lifestyle Kitchen, Freshie's Lobster Co., and yes, Maven Well-which my husband and I own-have turned the street into a curated community of lifestyle entrepreneurs.

Not only do these companies bring life and vibrance to the neighborhood, but most of them are female owned. In a world where only two percent of venture capital seed money goes to female owned businesses--even though women VC funded businesses have a 50 percent higher return than men--this matters. Salt Lake City is often touted as a great place for entrepreneurs, but for women's startups the support here is remarkable.

IT ALL STARTED WITH PUBLIK

My husband and I were uniquely set up for the market. I am the former owner of 9th and 9th Pilates and my husband, Tim Watcke, is a developer. Needless to say, we both took notice of the 9th South corridor the second Publik Coffee opened.

"It was an incredible piece of property, architecturally, and a dream to renovate due to it's structural integrity," says Missy Greis, developer and owner of Publik Coffee. "But the out of the way location, coupled by the one-way street 1-15 off -ramp was definitely a hurdle. In the end, people were easily enticed to frequent our space-the whole location thing was really just a happy accident!"

Liberty Wells wasn't on anyone's radar as a destination until then. Flanked by 9th and 9th and Central 9th, the neighborhood was riddled with run down houses and abandoned buildings. A year ago, homelessness, petty theft, and drug issues were a common problem, and many of the homeowners were nervous. Now the area is on the rise and home prices are increasing. The revivification comes, in no small part, due to the large number of developers and business owners who have invested in the area.

Alongside Ms. Greis, the first few to recognize the area's potential were developers Kristy Blair and Kathia Dang. When Forage first opened in what is now the Venetto space, Ms. Blair wondered if it would really work. Would people come? They did. But she knew this growth was a predictable pattern.

"With rents going up in 9th and 9th, it was becoming unaffordable," she says. "Liberty Wells had character, accessibility to...