PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The former Tidewater Community College School of Arts building on High Street in Olde Towne will have a new tenant that features an array of women-owned businesses.

On Tuesday, Portsmouth City Council green lighted “The Mustard Seed Place,” a new venture from local businesswoman Dr. Angela Reddix “where small dreams grow big.”

The space at the corner of High and Court streets, which has been empty for the past two years, was bought by Reddix and her husband Carl, and will be the home and headquarters of her non-profit, Envision Lead Grow.

All of the businesses inside will be run by women and offer products and services primarily for women, with Reddix offering support, her spokesperson Kimberly Wimbish says.

“Reddix’s vision for the space will be a continuation of the impact she has already made in the community and expanding her work in financial literacy,” Wimbish said. “… this model will ensure the businesses survive, thrive, and scale. 

It will include a mental health boutique, a cooking studio, film production studio, bookstore an event space and more.