FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information: Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham
Jessica Fadlevich / 205-264-8483 / [email protected]
Pop-Up Shops Debuting in Birmingham
A new trend in retail is popping up in Birmingham this February 8 th and 9th. A first for Birmingham, Pop-Up
Shops will include empty storefronts in downtown being used as temporary retail spaces just in time for
Valentine’s Day. Pop-Up Shops is part of a series of events in the Birmingham region in 2013 through Pop-Up
Project that encourages active transportation (walking and biking), promotes a healthy lifestyle and boosts
economic development. Pop-Up Project believes these temporary solutions inspire long-term changes within
the community.
According to REV Birmingham CEO David Fleming, “The Valentine’s Day Pop-up Shop showcases local
artisans and available properties while offering downtown workers and residents an opportunity to shop for
unique Valentine’s Day gifts in the City Center. It perfectly encapsulates our mission of revitalizing places,
energizing businesses and creating vibrancy.”
Shop Birmingham’s Emily Lowery, a member of the Pop-Up Project working group, led the search for metro
area merchants and artisans. Those chosen vendors have a loyal customer base, offer locally-made goods
complimenting existing downtown retailers’ products, and may be interested in establishing a brick and mortar
presence in the City Center.
Dates: Friday, February 8th from noon - 7p.m. & Saturday, February 9th from 10.am. – 1p.m.
Location: Johnny Cochran Building (corner of 20th and 3rd Streets North)
Purpose: Temporary retail shops open to the public
Pop-Up Project is a collaborative initiative of The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham
(RPCGB), which has teamed up with REV Birmingham, Shop Birmingham, City of Birmingham, City of Bessemer,
The United Way, Space One Eleven, Avondale Brewery and several other organizations to employ tactical urbanism
concepts in the Birmingham region through a series of events in 2013. The goals of the Pop-Up Project are to
educate the public on pedestrian and cyclists’ safety, promote the implementation and maintenance of a sidewalks
and bike facilities, improve the visibility and accessibility of transportation alternatives, measure the effects of using
tactical urbanism to incite demand for public spaces; and invoke economic development through vacancy
identification and repurposing. Pop-Up Project believes that temporary actions can inspire permanent change within
the community. Explore more at www.popupprojectal.com or contact Jessica Fadlevich at 205-264-8483 /
[email protected].
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