“… And, you’re done!”
Sitting in brick-walled conference room adorned with paintings of Frida Kahlo at the headquarters of a local nonprofit, a city staffer hit send on Lucinda Simmons’ application for a construction mitigation grant.
Simmons, who owns Don Roman, a shop that sells Mexican wares in Market Square, had started the application herself but didn’t feel confident she’d fill it out correctly, so she went to the Maestro Entrepreneur Center Thursday morning to get help.
“It was very straightforward,” said Simmons, who said she hadn’t been aware of Maestro’s small business support programs before she got an email from the City of San Antonio alerting her that help was available.
Simmons was one of fewer than a dozen small business owners who showed up Thursday morning to apply for a third round of city grant funding for local businesses impacted by ongoing construction.
This time around, $1.45 million is available. It will be doled out in grants ranging from $5,000 to $35,000 to eligible businesses in eight corridors under construction. The application window closes July 15.
Businesses must be able to show a drop in income from 2022 to 2023, based on their tax returns, so those who don’t yet have a 2023 return would not be eligible. Applications will be scored based on need.
Because the pot of money is smaller than in the past, this round of funding is more narrowly focused, prioritizing corridors with the longest construction durations — such as Alamo Street through downtown and the Broadway area to the north, both of which have been under construction since 2020 — and companies that have sustained the highest percentage of net revenue losses.
If past programs are any indication, this round will be very competitive, meaning not everyone who applies will be funded. Beginning at the end of July, high-scoring businesses will be notified of their grant amounts; those with lower scores will hear back by Sept. 23.
Linda Torres, who owns Unique Cuts, a hair salon on South Gevers, was told Thursday morning that she would not qualify for the grant because she hadn’t shown a large enough loss. She said she’s gotten some help from the city in the past, including signage to let people know businesses affected by the construction were still open, part of the city’s “construction toolkit” for businesses.
“A lot of people thought we were closed, so that was helpful,” she said. Torres also had never been to the Maestro Entrepreneur Center before, and wasn’t aware of the various programs the nonprofit offers to help small businesses.
Pyramid Construction owner Mario Cardenas also learned that Funtown, the defunct sports and games complex he purchased four years ago and is still working to refurbish, wouldn’t be eligible for a construction grant since it’s not open yet.
He left with a pastry from La Panadería and a flyer for the city’s digital presence program, which aims to help businesses reach more customers online. He, too, had previously been unfamiliar with Maestro and its programs.
That’s why Geremy Landín, Maestro’s executive director, went block walking under the blazing sun on Wednesday. He and Ruby Chapa, the nonprofit’s only other staffer, hit three of the eligible corridors, visiting businesses to let them know they might qualify and offer to help if they’re interested in applying.
It’s hard to get small business owners’ attention, he said, because they’re often busy trying to stay afloat. He mentioned Frank’s Trophies & Sports on South Presa, a second-generation business.
“He said he’s really struggling right now, and would try to come in,” Landín said, “but he also told me he needs to work.”
The city has also sent staffers out into the community, block walking the construction corridors, distributing flyers, mailing postcards and holding virtual info sessions in an effort to get the word out.
Many businesses across San Antonio have been hit hard in recent years, first by the pandemic and its related financial woes, then suffering within construction zones.
The city has dispersed millions in aid under a variety of programs, including $29.5 million to “micro” businesses with fewer than 20 employees in 2020, $13 million in hospitality grants in early 2021, $15 million in Covid-impact grants in 2022 and a previous round of construction mitigation grants totaling $2.45 million.
The city also spent $400,000 in 2023 on related construction mitigation programs, including development and distribution of the “construction toolkit,” which includes the creation of custom signs to let customers know the business is still open during construction.
In February, the city partnered again with the nonprofit microlender LiftFund, which will allow it to loan out approximately $8 million to local small businesses.
With the era of direct federal relief funding for small businesses largely over, City Council will discuss funding for a permanent construction mitigation fund during its budget goal-setting process, which is underway now. Council will vote on its fiscal year 2025 budget in September.
