Businesses hurt by I-95 collapse could get up to $2 million in assistance
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Businesses hurt by the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia may be able to get a low-interest loan of up to $2 million to help them recover, officials announced.
The federal Small Business Administration OK'd a disaster declaration for those businesses around Northeast Philadelphia.
In a statement, Shapiro said he visited businesses that were hurting after the collapse.
All throughout the I-95 closure, CBS News Philadelphia heard from business owners who were dealing with increased local traffic, decreased parking and as a result, fewer customers.
"I would probably say our business is off 50% since this happened. Sunday, which we're normally open until 8 p.m., we had to close at 5 p.m. because we had no customers coming in," Sue Carey, the Manager and Cashier at Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse said at the time.
"That's why I directed my Administration to work with the City of Philadelphia and the Small Business Administration to secure this declaration and give businesses access to low-interest, emergency loans. We'll continue to cut through the red tape and provide the support Philadelphia needs as we work to rebuild and recover," Shapiro's statement read.
I-95 reopened ahead of schedule on June 23, 12 days after a tanker truck collapsed and caught fire under an overpass by Cottman Avenue.
Shapiro wrote a letter to Kem Fleming, head of the SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance, saying "numerous businesses could not operate due to the damage to Interstate 95 and closures of adjacent roads."
Shapiro has already signed a state-level disaster declaration related to the I-95 collapse.