Innovation Center 

Meet Me in Arlington Pop Up Shop Rental in Lobby


A pop-up shop is an ideal opportunity for emerging products, brands, and businesses to trial a temporary retail space. 

The City of Arlington offers a pop-up business location for selected vendors to offer residents a variety of local products and a place for new businesses to introduce products to the market. The pop-up location is the lobby of the Innovation Center at 404 N. Olympic Avenue, Arlington. 

The pop-up location is available on a weekly basis from Wednesday through Sunday, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Vendors can rent the space individually or share it with other businesses. The weekly schedule will be curated to ensure a diverse range of offerings for community residents.

A City of Arlington business license is required to rent the space.

The Space: The space consists of approximately 108 square feet, measuring 12 feet by 9 feet. 

Fee:  $100 for Wednesday through Sunday, flat rate. The City reserves the right to adjust available pop-up days/dates.

Information: Interested vendors can contact Mandy Kruger at mkruger@arlingtonwa.gov or 360-403-3449 for more information and to reserve their spot in the pop-up location.

Please read the full Vendor Agreement below. Vendors are determined by the City and assigned on a weekly schedule. 

Vendor Agreement

Innovation Center Garage Space


The Innovation Center Garage Space is available as an additional business pop-up location and innovation related event space.  

Pop-up vendors can rent the space individually or share it with other businesses. All of the pop up shop rules above apply. 

Interested vendors can contact Mandy Kruger at mkruger@arlingtonwa.gov or 360-403-3449 for more information and to reserve.

The Space: The garage space is approximately 25 feet by 26 feet.

Fee:  $100 for Wednesday through Sunday, flat rate. The City reserves the right to adjust available pop-up days/dates.


Types of use permitted in the Innovation Center Garage are activities related to business and entrepreneurship including:


  • Educational classes related to business and employment
  • Business organization meetings and sponsored events (Chamber, DABA)
  • City of Arlington sponsored events
  • Events related to entrepreneurship, inventing, recycling
  • Events related to the City’s annual special events (Street Fair, Eagle Festival, etc.)
  • Library events
  • Activities listed above have priority for the garage space. Pop-Up Vendors may use the garage space upon approval, and if the reservation request does not conflict with activities happening in the garage facility. 
  • Some events may require the organizer to submit a special event application.
  • Occupant load is 48 people. 

The garage facility is not available to rent on the first Saturday of the month during the months of February - April due to a function hosted by the Stilly Valley Chamber in support of the Arlington Farmers Market. 

The Vision for an Innovation Center


The 2015 North Stillaguamish Valley Economic Recovery Plan includes goals in these areas: Infrastructure, Industries and Employment, Workforce Development, Resilience and Sustainability, Placemaking, and Rural Innovation. Arlington and Darrington’s involvement in America’s Best Communities Competition furthered our commitment to creating an economically stronger community with the goals in the plan. Creating an innovation center provides co-working and incubator space for entrepreneurs of all industries and will provide access to services and education resources.

The NW Innovation Resource Center (NWIRC)  collaborated with the City of Arlington on the Arlington Innovation Center.  The focus region for NWIRC includes Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, and Island counties. This region has unique economic growth potential through entrepreneurs, inventors, and start-up businesses. 

The Renovation Project

In late 2017, when the property became available, the City of Arlington jumped at the opportunity to purchase this rare main street property to further the economic redevelopment plan downtown. The City of Arlington requested State funding in the 2018 Capital Budget to renovate the 1940s service station that is located at 404. N Olympic Avenue in downtown. The plan was to create an innovation center and business incubator, and the property also serves as a public pocket park with restrooms and a bicycle parking lot. Phase 2 of the renovation was completed in June 2022. 

The grand opening event was June 28, 2022 with Mayor Barb Tolbert, Representative Carolyn Eslick, County Councilmember Nate Nehring, and Diane Kamionka, Executive Director of NWIRC.