Small businesses thankful for Valley Metro grant program
(Downtown Devil/DD)
Four months after the city of Phoenix and Valley Metro launched the Small Business Financial Assistance Program (SBFAP), local business owners in downtown Phoenix say they appreciate the boost.
The one-year pilot program provides direct financial assistance to locally-owned and eligible small businesses next to the Northwest Extension Phase II and South Central Extension/Downtown Hub projects.
Hilda Pena, owner of Botas Juarez, a boot barn in south Phoenix, has been approved for a $9,000 grant. She said she’s thankful to the City of Phoenix and Valley Metro for organizing the grant. Pena mentioned that Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix also provided different tools that would help her, such as a map of the light rail that runs by her storefront.
Downtown Phoenix Inc. creates voucher program to bring business back to downtown
(Downtown Devil)
The Downtown Phoenix Partnership has unveiled a new program designed to draw customers downtown and back into the restaurants, coffee shop retailers and cultural institutions to help recover from the losses suffered during the pandemic that make up the heart of downtown.
DTPHX Dollars is a $5 same-as-cash voucher that can be redeemed at many downtown businesses on purchases over $5. Businesses can turn in the vouchers to Downtown Phoenix Inc. and will be reimbursed within five business days.
Over 50 downtown businesses are participating in the voucher program. A full list of businesses participating can be found here.
(Downtown Devil File Photo)
After having been partially online for almost a full year, Arizona State University students received an email on Monday stating that the university will resume in-person learning for the fall 2021 semester.
“For fall, we plan on returning to Learning Mode 1, in which instruction will be delivered to students by faculty in person, on campus,” the email reads.
According to the same email, select courses will be available digitally through ASU sync and iCourses.
However, while it appears that ASU is hopeful that they will be able to safely conduct in-person learning, the reactions from students on the matter are varied.