Good morning all,The impact on Small Businesses in Cedar Rapids brought about by the Flood of 2008 is huge. The economic downturn only places greater pressure on many of those businesses. As Gary Ficken commented in an article back in January 2009 in the Business Edge Magazine titled Flood Losses:
I just wanted to get some information out to
you today on the following three topics:
1. ABC News in New York
contacted the CR Small Business Recovery Group and asked us to 'Next Day Air'
them our Flood Video with Kurt Warner. We are told that tonight's 5:30 pm
ABC National News broadcast will feature Kurt Warner as the "Person of the
Week" and wanted to have our Flood Video available as a resource to possibly put
bits and pieces of it on tonight's newscast at 5:30 pm. So please watch and
let's hope they talk about small business recovery.
2. The
State of Iowa has posted their distribution plans for the $517M of HUD money
(www.iowalifechanging.com/community/default.aspx,
then look under Draft Plans and it is the top listing, Amendment #4). I am
sorry to report the the small business community was only given a tiny portion
($25M) which is less funding than the money allotted to administrative costs of
the funding ($26M). So, I guess administrative costs are deemed more
important than saving jobs. It is a sad day for business recovery in Cedar
Rapids. PLEASE EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TO:
community@iowalifechanging.com. And of
course, feel free to send your thoughts to the Governor, your legislators, and
the City Manager. Remember to have your message focus on the fact that
saving jobs in Cedar Rapids needs to be given a priority and the fact that we
are in line to receive less funding than admin costs is a slap in the face
to those who provide jobs and benefits for our employees and this
community.
3. Lastly, we have been contacted about a
leasing opportunity: 400 sq. feet of office/storage space ready to
sublet. It's near K-Mart East. If this is of interest to you, please
contact Jim
Ketchum, President of Cornerstone Press at 378-4451 - Gary Ficken
“We know from Grand Forks (S.D.) that 55 percent of small businesses wentThe next two years will be very important for the small business community in the City of Cedar Rapids. Again, the allocation of administrative costs for Flood Recovery is higher than the funding to help the small business community.
under after three years. You can rush to get back into business, but with the
new debt load, you can’t continue to pay your bills. The ones that have an
advantage are those that didn’t have much debt at the time of the flood.” - Gary Ficken
*** ***
Keith Smith of Landlords of Linn County sent an e-mail today on the $517 million of HUD money, as well.
"The percentage of rental property damaged in the Cedar
Rapids flood event of last year is over 50% of all damaged residential
property.""Responsible landlords understand that the recovery of flood
affected homeowners, small business owners, landlords and local governmental
bodies are all equally necessary to the recovery of Cedar Rapids and the State
of Iowa. The survival of Cedar Rapids' neighborhoods is impossible without
the survival of pre-flood owner occupied homes AND rental properties." -
Keith Smith
Like the Small Business Recovery Group, the Landlord and rental markets are seeking greater assistance too.
"The State of Iowa has published the State Plan for the disbursement of the
$517M of HUD money recently allocated to the state. In order to support
the efforts to propose and develop programs to assist landlords and small
business, I ask that you send with the content below or similar to community@iowalifechanging.com.
Public comments on the action plan are taken at this email address." - Keith Smith
The challenges facing our local small business and rental communities are certainly significant. The State of Iowa is seeking public comment from all in the community.
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