I have inherited a building w a storefront on the first floor.

Impossible to answer without knowing the demographics of your city. Analyze what businesses exist, their competition, what surrounding cities have that your city doesn't. Things like that. Leasing it out is the low risk/low reward route.
If you have a soughtafter skillset, do something with that. It's not like you can open a dentist office or accounting agency because they're profitable if you dont know how to do it.

>>1479558
Rent it. Starting a business would be fairly complex for a variety of reasons, managing properties is a lot easier and would effectuate roughly the same result.

Rent it out. Much much less hassel.

Also put some thoughts in who you want rent it to. What would work on your location and such.
And never put a Restaurant there in case your tempted. They usually are the most difficult Business to rent to. Secondly get a good lawyer to set up an commercial rent contract perferably with some turnover percent rule also index rules if you can force that in your market.

>>1479558

comic book shop

>>1479558
Rent it. You get money for minimal work as a landlord. You could easily lose money setting up a business, especially since you probably don't know what you're doing.