The city is seeking participants for its Warsaw Community Development Corp. Holiday 2013 Pop-Up Shop program. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer made the announcement during Friday’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. Thallemer said the city modeled the program after South Bend’s program. Mark Dobson, Warsaw-Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce president, said the idea of the program is to promote the downtown. “It is important to improve the vibrancy of the downtown during the holidays and let people know the downtown is a good place to do business,” Dobson said. To apply to participate in the program fill out an application form that will be available beginning Tuesday at the chamber of commerce office, 313 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw. The program is an initiative of WCDC, a non-profit organization dedicated to the growth and prosperity of the downtown, in collaboration with Warsaw and private landlords to offer retailers a no-cost short-term lease in a downtown storefront for the 2013 holiday season through a juried selection process. The pop up shops will be in the commercial district of Warsaw especially on Buffalo, Center and Market streets. The shops will be open from Nov. 1 through Jan. 2. Grand opening celebrations will be Nov. 1 in conjuction with First Friday. Program participants will sign a short-term lease which stipulates the terms of the short-term space use requirements and must agree to return the space to its original condition. The goals of the program are to enhance the festive holiday atmosphere for the downtown’s holiday visitors, further develop the downtown as a holiday gift buying destination, provide a visible downtown presence and sales outlet, and highlight the available spaces in the commercial district. The types of pop-up shops sought include gifts, homemade goods and decor, apparel and accessories, specialty foods, books, sporting goods, pets and art and culture related retail items. Other options are massage therapy and beauty services. Businesses will be selected based on the appeal of their product mix for holiday shoppers, how well their concept works with current full-time tenants, ability to add excitement to the festive holiday atmosphere through in-store events and promotions, and the quality of the proposed window displays. For more information contact Dobson or Renea Salyer at 574-267-6311 or wcdc@wkchamber.com
