Some business owners are expressing optimism after the city of Minneapolis approved a $7 million plan to help local businesses affected by Operation Metro Surge.
Missy Conrad, manager and the soon-to-be owner of Uptown Hub, said she is encouraged by the City Council’s vote Thursday to create a small business resiliency fund.
Mayor Jacob Frey said the package includes $4.5 million to waive license and permitting fees and $2.5 million for marketing and neighborhood events.
For business owners and soon-to-be owners like Conrad, the aid comes as good news.
“It’s amazing, it’s going to help so many businesses hopefully come back and thrive again,” Conrad said.
Conrad said she and other Uptown businesses were severely impacted by Operation Metro Surge.
When 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS spoke to her last month, Conrad said she went from seeing up to 50 customers a day to as few as four.
“It was like a ghost town, it was almost like it wasn’t here and we weren’t really living in real reality,” Conrad Recalled.
So what happens next?
The city said the $4.5 million for waived license and permitting fees and the $2.5 million for marketing will come from the city’s Downtown Assets Fund. The fund is typically used to maintain venues like Target Center and the Minneapolis Convention Center.
The city has not given a timeline for when the money will be distributed. Conrad said she just wants to see how city leaders follow through.
“Just wondering how they’re really going to follow through to give it to the people that need it,” Conrad said. “Just need to see how they’re actually going to use the funding.”
