Business owners affected by the Skyline Rail construction in Honolulu have been granted a reprieve as the deadline to apply for a slice of the Transit Construction Mitigation Fund (TCMF) Grant pie is pushed back to December 15. In what can only be seen as a nod to practicality, the City and County of Honolulu recognized the need for additional time for local businesses to get their paperwork in order and take a stab at the $10,000 on offer, as reported by KHON2.
Originally facing a ticking clock set to expire this Thursday, proprietors now have until the new cut-off point, which falls on a Monday at 4 p.m. local time, to navigate the virtual corridors of the application portal – a digital gateway that flung open its doors on October 20, as noted by KITV. The extension signals an opportunity, perhaps a lifeline for those small businesses whose bottom lines have felt the heavy hand of the infrastructure project's progress.
Determined by a first-come, first-served protocol, the grants aim to lighten the financial burden for those eligible – we're talking about local businesses operating on a shoestring, with annual takings not exceeding $1 million and planted no more than a block away from the construction tumult. As detailed by the city, eligibility hinges on several factors including the date of opening your doors, to be no later than December 1, 2021, and proof of a revenue tumble of at least 10%.
Since the grants are given out quickly on a first-come basis, waiting could mean missing out, the city warned. Businesses that meet the criteria and have seen their revenue drop are urged to apply soon. With the portal still open and the deadline approaching in December, there’s now a bit more time to seek much-needed relief amid the city’s transit project. For full details and application info, businesses can visit the link shared by KHON2.
