Overview
- City officials announced that $97,500 from a Business Stabilization Fund will be distributed to 26 businesses, with awards of $5,000 for larger shops and $2,500 for smaller ones.
- The funding plan, announced on Monday, follows months of disruptive Sewerage and Water Board work to replace 115-year-old water mains under Decatur Street.
- Business owners said the checks help but cover only a small fraction of revenue losses and noted staff departures and some permanent closures.
- After a civil lawsuit, the Sewerage and Water Board agreed to remove barricades from inactive areas and add mid-block pedestrian crossings to restore access to storefronts.
- City and S&WB officials are holding regular meetings with owners, are weighing ways to use remaining funds for incomplete or adjacent applicants, and expect construction to finish this fall.