BIRMINGHAM, AL (August 10, 2026) – The City of Hollywood, Florida has partnered with Retail Strategies, a national retail recruitment and economic development consulting firm, to drive new retail and restaurant growth in its downtown district. The engagement will focus on attracting businesses that align with the momentum already underway in Downtown Hollywood.
Following the sunset of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, the City remains committed to sustained investment to continue growth and momentum in the historic downtown. As such, the city has partnered with Retail Strategies to carry that mission forward.
“Retail Strategies has a strong reputation in the state of Florida, and we needed a retail expert with a focused approach to downtown,” said Herbert Conde-Parlato, Economic Development Manager for the City of Hollywood. “We were looking for a partner that understands the full process of business attraction, and Retail Strategies fits that need.”
Downtown Hollywood’s retail market enters this partnership from a position of strength. The majority of ground-floor retail and restaurant space is occupied, with additional square footage leased and currently under renovation. While new construction has expanded available inventory, rents remain competitive and attractive to independent operators, restaurants, and experience-based businesses. That combination of competitive rents, strong residential absorption, and growing appeal to local entrepreneurs positions downtown for sustained vitality and long-term growth.
“Hollywood is in a great position to bring in new retail and restaurant businesses,” said Sarah Beth Stewart, Vice President at Retail Strategies. “We are well versed in working with property owners and supporting existing businesses while introducing new ones. The fundamentals here are strong, and we are excited to get to work.”
Retail Strategies will bring its proven recruitment methodology to the Hollywood market, connecting property owners and city stakeholders with targeted retail and restaurant prospects suited to the corridor.
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About Downtown Strategies
Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, exists to provide realistic, implementable strategies to help communities revitalize their downtowns. Led by a team of former downtown revitalization practitioners and real estate experts, our combination of real-world experience and expertise in real estate and retail uniquely qualifies us to assist communities in backfilling vacancies, increasing tourism, and enhancing the sense of place in their downtowns. Serving rural communities in 27 states, Downtown Strategies is the leading national firm in downtown revitalization planning, with an emphasis on real estate and retail.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in community development and retail economic development. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality-of-life amenities. We confidently pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team, drawing on unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities yield returns in sales taxes, additional jobs, and businesses that enhance the unique qualities of your community.
