Professional site selectors, out-of-town entrepreneurs and anyone hoping to hang a shingle in Helena got a powerful new tool to use in their search for the perfect business location.

At MBACProspector.com, a prospective business owner can look up any address in town, then generate demographic and traffic information about the surrounding area. Brokers are encouraged to upload their commercial listings, so out-of-towners can see what type of spaces are available here.

"Where a commercial site selector would come in and expect information in a couple of weeks, now they expect information almost instantly," said Carolyn Keller, planner and grant writer with the Gateway Economic Development District. "They do it virtually all on the Internet, and they don't necessarily do it in a 9-to-5 setting when our office is open."

In addition to learning all the details about a potential business location -- whether it's a vacant downtown storefront, a new warehouse project or a slice of vacant land that's zoned for industry -- someone looking to site a business in Helena can use MBACProspector.com to compile a wealth of information about the area surrounding the site.

With a few clicks, site selectors can learn traffic counts on streets surrounding a potential site, how many people live within an area ranging from 1 to 50 miles, how many and what other types of businesses are in the area, along with data on everything from incomes to schools. It's possible to learn whether a proposed business will be able to find enough employees, and whether there are compatible or competitive businesses down the street.

"More and more people are wanting more and more information before they ever commit to meeting with a salesperson or property manager," said Randall Green of Green & Green Realty Associates, who has already uploaded several commercial listings to the site. "This gives them that opportunity, and the resources are there for when they're ready to take that next step."

Kathy Brown, who manages commercial property in the Great Northern Town Center in addition to several buildings on the Downtown Walking Mall, said the site helps her be more efficient, since a prospective tenant's first several questions can likely be answered by using the Web site's listings and demographic data.

"I like the idea that as we try to attract retail into this area, the Web site can tell them what other 'like' businesses will be around them," Brown said.

Keller has spent the better part of a year making presentations to various real estate firms and other groups that would benefit from an inclusive commercial property Web site.

So far only around 40 commercial properties are listed, but Keller hopes more brokers in town will take advantage of the chance to show their listings. It doesn't cost anything, she said, although the site will require ongoing funding to remain live. Dozens of entities have contributed to get the site off the ground, with some of the largest support coming from the City of Helena, Lewis and Clark County and the Helena Multiple Listing Service.

The biggest request, she said, is that brokers keep their listings current, changing status if a parcel sells or if a listing price changes.

"My hope is to get as many properties in here as possible and make sure it's as up-to-date as possible," she said. "We want to show that our community is open for business."

Eventually the site will be expanded to include most, if not all, of the three counties covered by Montana Business Assistance Connection, including Broadwater and Meagher.

In addition to being a free marketing tool, Keller hopes that Web traffic information gained from the site will help officials determine which areas of town and/or types of commercial property are the most popular in Helena. Keller can track how many page views each parcel gets, along with how many requests for additional information are generated. (Brokers have access to the same information for their own listings.)

The site was developed and is hosted by GIS Planning Inc., a California firm that has designed more than 100 similar sites for places around the country. Keller said this is the first Web site in Montana that provides the wealth of demographic and other market information in the same setting as commercial property listings.

Having the first such site in the state "is sure not going to hurt," Green said. "Cities do compete for businesses, they compete for jobs. This gives us the chance to diversify our economy, and some growth has got to be positive."

Reporter John Harrington:

447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com