Title
Accept Living Cities Grant for Corridors of Opportunity Breaking Barriers to Business Initiative
Action
Action:
A. Accept a grant in the amount of $100,000 from Living Cities to support the Breaking Barriers to Business initiative in the Corridors of Opportunity, and
B. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $100,000 from Living Cities to the Neighborhood Development Grants Fund.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Tracy Dodson, City Manager’s Office
Erin Gillespie, Economic Development
Arta Osmanaj, Economic Development
Explanation
§ This grant will support the Breaking Barriers to Business (B3) initiative which aims to close the racial wealth gap by creating wealth building opportunities for business owners of color in Charlotte and four other cities in the southeastern region of the United States.
§ Grant activities will occur in the three Corridors of Opportunity that are participating in this B3 Initiative: Beatties Ford/Rozzelles Ferry, West Boulevard, and West Sugar Creek.
§ The grant will be used for the implementation of a workplan to outline activities that will address systemic barriers for BIPOC businesses. The workplan will be developed jointly between the city’s Corridors of Opportunity program and participating Business-Serving Organizations (Historic West End Partners, Sugar Creek Business Association, and West Boulevard Merchant Association) representing businesses in the aforementioned business corridors.
§ The grant does not require a city match and will be disbursed upon grant agreement execution and workplan approval which is due by January 31, 2025.
Fiscal Note
Funding: Living Cities Grant
Attachments
Attachment(s)
Budget Ordinance