Detroit boosts funding for business needs as it gets closer to deciding how it will spend federal pandemic relief funds

Duggan originally proposed spending $16 million to boost entrepreneur-funding program Motor City Match and $10 million to build off-street parking in commercial corridors.

The newly enlarged figure, $40 million, includes “landlord support” as well as stimulus programs for city real estate developers, Nicole Sherard-Freeman, city group executive for jobs, economy and Detroit at Work, said during a committee meeting Wednesday.

It would also allow the city to double funding for entrepreneur programs Motor City Match and Motor City ReStore, help small businesses through grants and low-cost loans, and assist them with technical problems and accessing other federal funding programs, Sherard-Freeman said. She estimates the city has 12,000 active businesses and the funding could assist 500.

The increase in business assistance comes despite the fact that it was the second-least popular funding priority in the city government’s survey results, with “rebuild our…

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