Brew City Match partners recognize that small business are vital to our neighborhoods, and are an economic engine for our City. During this pandemic, small business has been severely impacted by closures. As a response, our partners have developed two resources for small business owners located within the Brew City Match program area. This includes the Cesar Chavez Drive, Historic King Drive, Near West Side, and North Avenue/Fond du Lac Marketplace Business Improvement Districts, and the neighborhoods directly around those corridors.
“Brew City Match partners stepped up to act quickly to develop resources that support existing businesses within our commercial corridors. We believe that a combination of grants and loans will assist our neighborhoods in retaining small business that enhance the vitality and livability of our community,” comments Beth Haskovec, Program Officer at LISC Milwaukee who oversees the Brew City Match program.
Brew City Match will offer over $150,000 in assistance for small business owners over the coming weeks. These resources can provide vital financial support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. Support will be in the form of zero percent interest loans and business grants that will provide rent and payroll assistance.
The Hmong WI Chamber of Commerce (HWCC) will be servicing $100,000 in small business loans as part of the Brew City Match response. Maysee Herr, Executive Director of the HWCC states, “This is a devastating time for many small businesses. Through the generosity of our funder, JPMorgan Chase and the PRO Neighborhoods program, I’m proud that the Brew City Match collaborative could make available emergency loans at a zero percent interest rate. The small businesses we’re targeting to assist through this loan program are in some of the most vulnerable areas of Milwaukee – they are the heartbeat of their neighborhoods. Given that there are simply not enough grants available yet to immediately assist them, these no interest rate loans we’re offering can help to sustain them in the meantime”.
The Business Improvement Districts will be processing small business grants as part of the Brew City Match response. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive is one of the four corridors where these resources will be made available. Deshea Agee, Executive Director of the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District says “We are extremely grateful to have these grant resources to help sustain our local businesses. At this time when businesses are operating with limited services, or are not operating at all, these resources will help retain successful businesses that may otherwise be forced to close. The prioritization of the Brew City Match collaborative, and JPMorgan Chase in retooling these dollars is a clear sign that these partners believe in maintaining strong commercial corridors”.
Process for Accessing Brew City Match (COVID-19) Disaster Relief Lending and Grants: