GREENACRES, Fla. — More than a week after a deadly Learjet crash forced businesses to close along Military Trail near Greenacres, signs of recovery are starting to emerge.
On Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board said they have begun to wrap up its on-scene investigative work.
WATCH REPORT BELOW: $250K grant program for businesses proposed after Learjet crash
Palm Beach County is now proposing a $250,000 grant program to help businesses that have taken a financial hit because of the road closure.
"I saw them pulling out all the yellow tape around the property, so that gave me a great sign that we're moving and we're having some progress towards moving to opening again," said Eddie Rivera, owner of Señor Lechon restaurant.
Rivera said his Puerto Rican restaurant opened along Military Trail about three months ago. It has now been closed for more than a week following the crash.
The closure has been particularly difficult for a business with 15 employees and bills that did not stop when customers could no longer get through.
"Financially wise, it's been a pretty economical impact, considering we've got 15 employees and we've got a lot of businesses in the area," Rivera said.
Add on the lost sales, customers, food waste, rent and payroll continuing to add up.
"Anything helps at this point, especially if it comes to payroll because we've got 15 employees trying to survive as well and help out as much as we can personally, but if we can have the county do some sort of grant program or maybe talk to the state or maybe talk to some at federal level that they can have some sort of help with us, that'll be great," Rivera said.
Now, Palm Beach County is preparing to offer some of that help.
The county's proposed Military Trail Business Interruption Grant Program would set aside $250,000 in Ad Valorem funds for eligible businesses affected by the incident and the associated Military Trail closure. Businesses could receive up to $5,000, depending on eligibility, available funding and the county's calculation of each award.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said the program was created after businesses began reaching out about the financial strain caused by the closure.
"We've been receiving hundreds of calls about when are we gonna reopen. You know, we have employees, we have people that need to get paid that are not getting paid," Flores said. "We need to be able to cover our own rent, and a lot of these are small businesses. These are mom-and-pop shops, and we wanna make sure that we take care of them."
For businesses like Rivera's, even that amount could make a meaningful difference.
"Absolutely. That at least helps out for half of the payroll so we can get, you know, at least help them go on because I've got employees that got bills to pay as well," Rivera said.
Businesses will have to apply through the County's Housing and Economic Development Department.
The money can be used for expenses including rent or mortgage payments, employee payroll, utilities, essential inventory and supplies and other approved operating costs. It cannot be used for personal expenses, expansion, owner distributions or expenses already covered by insurance or other assistance.
The grants are capped at $5,000. Only one award is allowed per legal business as they take steps to return to normalcy.
The county’s proposed $250,000 business grant program is not the only financial assistance being brought into the recovery effort. Flores said more than $50,000 has also been raised through United Way from the private sector, with funding going to Catholic Charities to help provide temporary housing, rental cars and Uber and Lyft vouchers for people affected by the crash.
Separate from the county’s proposed assistance for businesses, the Emergency Assistance Foundation, a West Palm Beach-based nonprofit, is offering $1,000 cash grants to eligible residents impacted by the crash through its People First Fund.
The organization previously told WPTV it had enough funding to help 18 people and was working to raise enough to provide grants to all 68 impacted individuals it had identified.
Flores said water had been turned back on and Florida Power & Light was conducting a final assessment before residents could return to their homes. He said the county's goal was to get residents back within the coming days, or by the end of the week at the latest, as long as officials determine the area is safe.
Businesses could also begin reopening within days, according to Flores, although work remains underway around the crash site and there is not yet a firm date for Military Trail to completely reopen.
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