Vacant Oakland Stores Filled By Fledgling Businesses In 'Popuphood'
OAKLAND (CBS 5) - In what could be one of the most innovative new concepts in urban planning, at least five small businesses are setting up shop - rent free - in formerly vacant Oakland stores.
As part of the program, which has been dubbed the popuphood, small business owners are being given free rent on 9th Street between Broadway and Washington Street in hopes that the businesses can take root and turn a profit.
"It was a an ambitious project," said Sarah Filley, one of the popuphood founders. "We had this idea in September, and we are opening in December."
One of the storefronts, Marion & Roses Workshop, is already open.
"Now we are all here popping in and hopefully creating an environment and a neighborhood, and bringing it back and revitalizing it," said Co-Owner Kerri Johnson. "What happens is we're all in this together. So instead of having one business marketing to try to bring people down we now have six."
For more information on Oakland's popuphood, please visit:
www.popuphood.com/
Or follow them on Twitter:
@popuphood
