Coupling brick-and-mortar stores with the shared economy may seem like strange bedfellows, but City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) are marrying the two together this weekend with an innovative new program that will benefit both.
Dubbed the Sharing Economy Weekend, individuals will be eligible to receive free and discounted rides from Lyft, Citibike, Revel, and Zipcar to over 25 participating local small businesses. In return, participating businesses will offer discounts on goods and services to patrons with receipt of transport from the participating app-based partners.
Major Central Brooklyn cultural institutions in the community such as the Weeksville Heritage Center and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum will also serve as community partners for the weekend.
“To me, the sharing economy is a way to bridge the gap between app-based or platform-based business and brick and mortar business, and creating an ecosystem where everyone can benefit,” said Cornegy. “I believe as policymakers, it is our duty to find ways to ensure our communities benefit from technological advancements like the sharing economy, and that is exactly what this weekend is all about.”
The event fits into Cornegy’s vision of building an ecosystem where the sharing economy app-based companies help contribute to local businesses and the local economy. Earlier this year, Cornegy delivered a lecture at MIT on the topic of the sharing economy and the value of building these linkages.
This is not the first such initiative in Bedford-Stuyvesant. In 2015, Council Member Cornegy partnered with Uber and several local businesses to sponsor cross-promotions that demonstrate the potential of marrying shared economy, app-based businesses with brick-and-mortar businesses.
It also comes as Cornegy has somewhat bucked the progressive politics trend of bashing the shared housing economy wherein companies like Airbnb contend with harsh city and state regulations forged through the thinking that this business sector takes affordable housing off the market.
But Cornegy and others have pushed back against some of this thinking with the argument that tourists that want the real Americana experience on their holidays come neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy through the shared housing economy that has helped both brownstone owners pay their bills and local businesses get a piece of the tourism industry.
Cornegy, in fact, has proposed legislation, Into. 995, a year ago that would exempt one- and two- family homes from Office of Special Enforcement action over home sharing companies like Airbnb if the family still resides in the residence.
“While it’s true some landlords are running their buildings like hotels, Miss Mary, who lives in a two-family brownstone and lives on a fixed income and is seeing an increase in her taxes should be able to use that other unit to make ends meet,” said Cornegy, adding the measure has been stalled in committee forever.
The Shared Economy Weekend is this Friday, June 28 – Sunday, June 30.
Additionally, partners will come together from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, June 29 in Bed-Stuy Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street for a Sharing Economy Expo, where community members will be able to sign-up for and activate subscriptions/accounts with participating app-based companies. There will also be music, refreshments, and performances by Dot Cromwell and DioMara.
