Pop-up shops have proven to be very successful in Downtown Buffalo. Many of the new retailers on Main Street were once sprouted from the Queen City Pop-Up Shop phenomenon. Since the concept has worked so well for downtown, why not try something similar for the East Side, another area of the city that could use an influx of retail?
It turns out that short term rental agreements are very attractive for entrepreneurs. To be able to test out a storefront is the perfect way to see if there is a need for goods and services. What if there was a push to get pop-up shops to proliferate on streets such as Jefferson, Broadway, Sycamore, Michigan , East Utica, East Delavan, and Genesee?
In order for an initiative of this nature to come to fruition, there must be decent storefronts available? While this might appear to be a deal breaker, instead it should represent opportunities. Yes, fixing up a storefront requires materials and… labor. That’s right. Jobs.
On Wednesday, April 5, a forum titled Creating Pop Up Stores on all East Side Commercial Strips will be held at the Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue (starts promptly @ 5:30pm). The event is sponsored by We Are Women Warriors & Erie County Legislator Betty Jean Grant. Please visit this Beautiful Buffalo Facebook event to learn more. The organizers hope to attract City officials from BUDC, BURA, Office of Strategic Planning and the City Department of Real Estate. Candidates for the upcoming mayoral election have also been invited to attend, who might then offer support. This is part brainstorming, part problem solving, and part spirited effort to get some more economic momentum and neighborhood stability driven to the city’s East Side.
