Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) announced this week that it had distributed $112,500 in Retail Revitalization Grants to downtown businesses.
The money came from DGI, the Guilford Merchants Association and the Greensboro Virus Relief Fund, and grants of $1,500 were awarded to 75 retail establishments.
Downtown Greensboro has been hit particularly hard by 2020. First came the coronavirus lockdowns that shuttered many businesses for months, and then – just when Gov. Roy Cooper was allowing businesses to reopen – the downtown was hit with two nights of riots on May 30 and May 31 where downtown businesses were vandalized and looted.
DGI President Zack Matheny said in a press release, “I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to know we have helped so many small business owners in some way. This pandemic had knocked our downtown businesses down, but with the help of this grant program, it hasn’t knocked them out.”
The $1,500 grants were awarded for new business plan initiatives, inventory growth, marketing, rent assistance, job retention and other related business expenses.
Guilford Merchants Association President Mark Prince said, “GMA was proud to partner with DGI to provide much needed funds to downtown business owners that have been significantly impacted. We hope it relieved some of the financial stress to keep their businesses open as we transition through this pandemic.”
Storefront retail businesses that sell goods or provide a service in the downtown Greensboro Business Investment District in operation prior to Jan. 1, 2020 were eligible to apply for a grant.
DGI and GMA provided a total of $55,000 of the Retail Revitalization Grant funding. The United Way of Greater Greensboro, the City of Greensboro and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro combined contributed $24,000 in funding.
Funding was also provided by a GoFundMe campaign. The Deuterman Law Group contributed $5,000, the Downtown Residents Association $2,500, the Jewish Foundation $1,500 and the Rotary Club of Greensboro $1,000.
What did our esteemed mayoress have to say about the people who were concerned about the looting and destruction of downtown businesses??
To clarify, do you mean past riots and looting, or riots and looting to be allowed in the (possibly near) future?
I meant the riots and looting from earlier in the summer. However, her same non-empathetic statement, her lack of concern, and her virtue-signalling could be applied to all future “peaceful protests”.
I hate to beat my drum to death, but why is it the taxpayer’s responsibility to help selected businesses in any manner? How about all the other businesses in Greensboro who will receive nothing?
Why didn’t the City defend the properties that were destroyed by looters and rioters? Now they want others to help pay for their negligence?
I’ve had several businesses through my life, some failed, some succeeded. But all my own risk.
Just lower the durn tax rate. Stop spending what you ain’t got. That helps everyone.
So, the city council is too sorry to admit that the riots at the end of May devastated many downtown businesses selling goods and services to the public. Rather, private enterprise must cough up money to help merchants recover from the MOSTLY PEACEFUL PROTESTS.
Where is our Mayor when she’s really needed?
She’s moving downtown?
I have not heard a peep out of our wonderful mayor about we ought to accept the destruction created by these thugs(BLM).I wonder when the skin heads will take enough of those thugs and have it out with them.These glorious Democrats mayors and governors are royally screwing up our neighborhoods by allowing these crazy self serving people to destroy and loot .Lets put people in charge who will counteract these thugs.We’ve seen what the Dems will not do ,Let’s vote in Republicans all over NC and Put Trump back in for 4 more years.