Tacoma looks to invest $650K toward businesses impacted by crime and COVID
Tacoma looks to invest $650k toward biz impacted by crime and COVID
Crime and COVID are hurting business in Tacoma, and the city is looking to invest more than half a million dollars to help.
TACOMA, Wash. - Crime and COVID are hurting businesses in Tacoma, and the city is looking to invest more than half a million dollars to help.
This week, city leaders proposed a plan to use federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help local businesses.
Mayor Victoria Woodards says she hears business owners' concerns and is working to address them.
"The ability to be able to provide some financial support and some potential security for our business districts seems like the right thing to do," said Woodards.
The plan is to invest a total of $650,000 into local businesses.
Three hundred thousand dollars would go toward fixing busted windows.
A quarter million would go toward hiring private security to patrol, in the hopes of preventing crime in the first place.
Some businesses are hopeful this change could make a big impact in their city.
"I think a lot of places could get back up and running. They could get back to their full potential like they were prior to COVID, because right now people are still barely scraping by," said Teresa Argeris.
Argeris is the head chef and kitchen manager at Moshi Moshi in Tacoma.
She says Moshi Moshi, and its sister-restaurant, Indo Asian Street Eatery (which is right next door) have dealt with people breaking out windows several times.
"It’s really frustrating because we’re not sure if we should continue to keep boarding up our windows, or are we risking taking it down, to get windows broken again. I mean it’s expensive," said Argeris.
The city also plans to invest $100,000 of the ARPA money toward businesses who are voluntarily checking proof of vaccine, part of the BRAVO initiative.
City council plans to discuss this topic again during study session on Tuesday.
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