State and local officials announced a new grant program to provide relief for businesses impacted by the Washington Bridge’s closure, which has caused traffic problems for commuters between Providence and East Providence, earlier this month.
The program offers grants of up to $2,500 for restaurants, boutiques, retail shops and other businesses navigating losses stemming from the bridge’s initial closure in December 2023.
“The bridge closure hurt everyone. It was an instant drop in sales,” said Florence Voccola, the owner of F. Bianco, a women’s clothing store in Providence’s Wayland Square.
Voccola said she has seen multiple neighboring businesses shut their doors recently. Minerva’s Pizza House, one of the area’s longest-running businesses, closed down in May. Before their closure, they frequently posted to their social media about the closure’s impact on local businesses.
“I'm losing stuff because I'm not getting the calls from that side of the bridge,” said James Verity, who owns Verity Designs, an interior design consultancy. “It just takes time and time is valuable. It’s the only thing you can’t buy.”
Small businesses experiencing either a minimum loss of $500 or a 10% loss of revenue due to the bridge closure are encouraged to apply for a grant. Businesses can determine their eligibility on the Rhode Island Commerce website.
The grants, which total $2.6 million, will be financed through the federal State Fiscal Recovery Fund and included in the state’s fiscal year 2025 budget.
Of those funds, $1.2 million will be allocated to businesses in East Providence, $800,000 will be designated for the City of Providence and the remaining $600,000 will go toward supporting other businesses outside of those locations, according to Matthew Touchette, director of communications at Rhode Island Commerce.
Providence previously encouraged local businesses to apply for low-interest, long-term Economic Injury Disaster Loans. But many business owners were hesitant to take on additional debt and expressed their desire for grants that could help them cover costs, Touchette explained.
As time went on, some businesses ended up applying for loans, but other options remained bleak, said Rick Simone, the managing director for the Rhode Island Small Business Coalition and president of the Federal Hill Commerce Association. Of the business owners he knew applied, the majority did not get approved, he said.
The grants are set at tiers of $500, $1,000 and $2,500, determined based on the business’s reported levels of economic loss. But for some, that money is not enough.
“It’s an insult to us, that kind of money,” Voccola said. “With the rent so high everywhere, $2,500 is nothing.”
“Even if somebody gets the max of $2,500, that gets gobbled up in a month or less,” Verity said.
The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
“We wish that it was more money, but something is better than nothing,” Simone said.
While Touchette agreed that businesses suffered significantly during the first week of the temporary bridge closure, he felt that the economic impact seemed to have been somewhat alleviated over time.
“When they started to open lanes on the eastbound span of the bridge, it did alleviate a lot of those issues,” he said.
“Even though we were able to get six lanes moving again pretty quickly, and traffic volume is back to where it was, businesses still need help to offset some of the losses,” Governor Dan McKee wrote in a press release.
According to Voccola, the losses from the bridge are ongoing. “It’s been nine months already, and there doesn't seem to be an end to it. I’m very distraught,” she said.
“The economic impact on Rhode Island, small businesses and the larger business community is going to be felt for a long time,” Verity said. “It’s just unfortunate.”
Along with the Washington Bridge Small Business Grant Program, R.I. Commerce has prioritized helping Providence and East Providence businesses for other relief funding opportunities like the Placemaking Initiative, the Main Street R.I. Streetscape Improvement Fund and the Site Readiness Program.
“We were able to give substantial grants to both cities as a result,” Touchette said.
Interested small businesses should visit the R.I. Commerce website and apply before the Sept. 24 deadline. Afterwards, the department will evaluate the initial response and consider opening another round of applications.
“We never stop evaluating how we can help businesses,” Touchette added.
Maya Kelly is a Metro senior staff writer who covers health and environment. When she's not at The Herald, you can find her hanging from an aerial silk, bullet journaling, or stress-baking.
