Jazzin' on Jefferson started out as a very small community and placemaking event for the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. Now in its 10th
year, the festival has grown significantly and has become a signature annual event for the east riverfront community.
Last year Jazzin' on Jefferson hosted a couple of pop-up concepts as a test run to see how the retail stores might perform. The response was positive, so this year the
Jefferson East Business Association (JEBA) and
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Urban Priorities Committee have partnered up to work with local entrepreneurs and artists to create
June on Jefferson, a month-long pop-up business series.
Five businesses will occupy newly-renovated storefronts in the heart of the Jefferson-Chalmers commercial district from June 14 to July 9. Indian Village-based Shelborne Development owns the previously-abandoned buildings and has "beautifully" restored them, according to Eve Doster, who handles PR for Jazzin' on Jefferson. Individual spaces were designed with help from volunteer architects from the AIA.
The June on Jefferson participating businesses are
Myra's Sweet Tooth, which sells specialty cupcakes and ice cream and recently opened a permanent store in the area (this will be a satellite location); Goodwell's Natural Foods Market, which has a store in Midtown;
River's Edge Gallery, a temporary second location of the Wyandotte-based art gallery; a
Fairview Historical Society museum, located in the footprint of what was once the Fairview waterfront community; and a satellite location for
D:hive, the community development center located downtown on Woodward.
The pop-ups will also host event programming every weekend including art openings, film screenings, live music, and more.
"The ultimate goal is to have these be permanent locations," Doster says. Even if these businesses themselves don't stay, JEBA's intention is to accelerate the physical and economic revitalization of Jefferson-Chalmers by encouraging foot traffic and vetting the potential for retail growth and sustainability.
Source: Eve Doster, Norwegian Blue PR
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg
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