Detroit businesses snag $500K in latest Motor City Match – Detroit Free Press

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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced the latest recipients of cash grants from the Motor City Match program on Monday Aug., 14, 2017(Photo: JC Reindl)

Thirteen Detroit-based small businesses, including a beer brewer, a construction contractorand aSouthern cooking restaurant, were awarded $500,000 in total grants Monday in the latest round of the city's Motor City Match program.

The quarterly event marked the two-year anniversary for the popular program, which distributes local foundation money as well as block grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to new and existing Detroit businesses in need of "gap funding" help.

To date, Motor City Matchhas distributed nearly $4 million to 87 businesses, of which 78% are minority-owned. The program focuseson small businesses that can play a role inrevitalizingneighborhoods and that may have struggled in obtaining enough traditional,commercial lending.

More: Motor City Match winner will mingle perfumes, cocktail culture

"We are getting to where we want to be in creating business opportunities in the neighborhoods," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who with the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. started the Match program in 2015. "We are creating a pathway for people who have the talent, who have the drive, but otherwise might not have had the financing."

Big Mama's Southern Kitchen was among this latest round of grantrecipients. The restaurant was given $40,000 to helprepair damage toits building at 19644 Grand Riverfrom a December 2015 fire of unknown origin that had forced itto close.

Restaurant co-ownersPatricia Clay and Natalie Day said the repair and renovation work is already under way and they hope to reopenin October. The restaurant is named for Clay's late grandmother, Lucy Carr, who was known as "Big Mama" andtaught her the Southern recipes that their customers will taste.

More: Program to give small Detroit neighborhood businesses help with improvements

"It's been a strugglebut we're doing it," Clay said of the restaurant's reconstruction."We always planned to reopen,it was just getting funded. We needed to get funded."

Construction general contractor The O'Neal Contracting Group received a $35,000 grant to help replace the roof of its headquarters at17160 Wyoming St.

Owner Greg O'Neal said his nine-employee company has been experiencing strong growth since 2014 thanksto the surge in apartment construction in and around downtown Detroit. The firm was recently awarded work at the $53 million Third and Grand residential and commercial project in New Center.

Monday's event was held inside a former 1940s post office that was converted into a workshop and future retail shop for Mutual Adoration, a past recipient of a $35,000 Motor City Match grant. The businessuses reclaimed wood to create furniture, gifts and other household items and plans toopen itsnew retail shop inside the building this fall.

The following businesses were awarded grants:

Batch Brewing Company, 2841 E. Grand Blvd., $65,000 Simply Breakfast Restaurant, 7526 W. McNichols St., $50,000 Vernor MC, 5705 W. Vernor Hwy., $45,000 Bar Botnica, 14522 E. Jefferson Ave., $40,000 Big Mamas Southern Kitchen, 19644 Grand River Ave., $40,000 Detroit Mushroom Factory, 13832 Joseph Campau St., $40,000 Rosedale Beer & Bistro, 18910 Grand River Ave., $40,000 The Congregation, 9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., $40,000 O'Neal Contracting Group, 17160 Wyoming St., $35,000 The Vernor Caf, 4110 W. Vernor Hwy., $35,000 Lacquered, 18685 Livernois Ave., $25,000 PizzaPlex, 4458 W. Vernor Hwy., $25,000 Tot Town Child Development Center, 8932 Greenfield Road, $20,000

Information onapplying for a Motor City Match grant is at motorcitymatch.com

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Detroit businesses snag $500K in latest Motor City Match - Detroit Free Press