Thursday, March 19, 2026 |
Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
One Rawlins City Council member attributes the lack of new businesses to the city’s high rent prices.
Last month, Rawlins Councilman Derek Elliot announced the closure of several local businesses, including two restaurants and a laundromat. Councilman Elliot said the loss of those services has a negative impact on residents.
In an effort to attract more businesses to the city, Councilman Elliot contacted the owners of the Rawlins Plaza, located on West Spruce Street, and asked for the cost to rent an unused portion of the shopping center. Speaking at Tuesday’s Rawlins City Council meeting, Elliot said that if the price was low enough, the space could serve as a community activity center. However, the councilman reported that the property owners appear to expect nearly $100,000 a month in rent.
Councilman Elliot added that the attached grocery store is larger than the Family Dollar, suggesting that the monthly rent costs are even higher. Additionally, the councilman said the building appears to have structural issues. Elliot said his intention was to make the public and the governing body aware of the city’s high rent prices.
Bigfoot99 has reached out to Jabe Companies LLC, the property manager for the Rawlins Town Center, to verify Councilman Elliot’s claims. As of this report, the company has not responded to our reporter’s requests for comment.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Elliot said he also contacted the owners of the former Chinese buffet on West Spruce Street, who are asking close to $8,000 a month to rent the building. The councilman said residents are willing to support new businesses, but entrepreneurs may be discouraged by the high rent costs.
Councilman Elliot said following last year’s closure of Rasmusson Furniture, he has been trying to attract a new furniture store to the city. However, proprietors told him they are concerned about the lack of qualified employees.
Councilman Elliot suggested creating a training program to prepare residents to work in different types of services, adding that other business owners may have similar staffing concerns.
