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Arlington Business Access Relief Grant
City Council Members Theresa Gadus and Adam Martinez
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Authorizing the Mayor and the Department of Economic Development to create an Arlington Business Access Relief Grant to be administered to eligible storefront businesses in the designated project area on Arlington Avenue; authorizing the Mayor to enter into program grant agreements with eligible businesses; authorizing the expenditure of $25,000 from the General Fund; authorizing, subject to further appropriations, the expenditure of funds from the General Fund for the Arlington Business Access Relief Grant; and declaring an emergency.
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SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
The City of Toledo prides itself on its resiliency, and its ability to come together when a neighborhood goes through an unplanned emergency event, and it is no different when that event is an unplanned construction project or reconstruction project. Though normal road construction projects have very few negative impacts on local businesses or residential areas, some unfortunately rise to a level that presents a difficult long-term situation requiring remediation. Months or even years of construction work can have significant impacts on nearby small businesses and the residents of that area.
Construction activity and street closures can restrict access to storefronts, reduce parking, create traffic congestion, increase noise and dust, and make it more difficult for customers, deliveries, and employees to reach a business. These disruptions can reduce customer traffic and sales while increasing operating costs. For small businesses that operate on narrow margins, a temporary decline in revenue can create meaningful financial hardship, particularly when construction lasts for an extended period of time.
The City of Toledo has already adopted a grant program that mitigates the financial distress of construction projects on legacy commercial corridors, but new situations arise that prove this same l...
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