Joe Posch

Detroit, a city famously filled with abandoned buildings and blighted neighborhoods, has a major selling point for entrepreneurs: If you have an idea you want to test, Detroit has the space for it. A growing number of aspiring merchants are turning empty storefronts and warehouses into experimental labs for temporary businesses. In other cities, "pop-up" shops often house stores or marketing stunts. In Detroit — a troubled city that holds great appeal for some entrepreneurs — these spaces are the local economy's incubation chambers.