Circle City Balloon Co. will be the first tenant to occupy the incubator in downtown Enterprise.

Main Street Enterprise selected the all women-owned small business from several applicants and presented the nomination to Council for approval during Tuesday’s meeting.  

“We are really excited and humbled because we know how many people were deserving of this opportunity as well. We want to do it justice,” Gale Renteria said.  Renteria, along with Christina Quinones and Stevie Pybas own the full event décor business that started as they were decorating for their own children’s birthday parties.

“We do a lot of parties between us,” Renteria said laughing. “We never really thought about being paid to do something we loved until someone saw what we could do and wanted to hire us.”

Circle City Balloon Co. offers everything from balloon bouquets to balloon arches, tablecloths, centerpieces and backdrops.

“No job is too small. If you just need two or three balloons with helium to make your child feel special, we want to help.”

As part of the agreement, Circle City Balloon Co. will occupy the refurbished shipping container starting July 15 and will pay $50 a month in rent.  The incubator is provided by Main Street Alabama through a USDA Rural Development grant with the intention of entrepreneurs occupying the space to test their small business in the market and eventually finding a permanent brick and mortar in the downtown area.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Circle City Balloon Co. and our downtown district,” Main Street Executive Director Mariah Montgomery said. “Economic development is key, and this is a prime example of finding creative ways to further growth not just downtown, but in Enterprise as a whole.”

The incubator, located at 123 S. Main Street, inspired the 2023 Design Committee Project: The Nook.  The Enterprise Public Library parking lot will become a gathering space for the community.  The Design Committee is pursuing beautification of the area and recently raised more than $1800 for the space as part of the Boll Weevil Block Party Community Art Show & Competition.

Members of the Young Main Street committee, as well as community volunteers, began the project in early March by pressure washing the building, the brick wall and the shade structure.  Pressure washing equipment was donated by Rentready.  Volunteers finished painting murals on the incubator at the end of May.   Paint and brushes for the project were donated by Enterprise Paint and Industrial. The murals were approved by Council during the March 21, 2023, meeting.