Latest news with #HonoluluRailTransitProject
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Businesses impacted by Rail Transit Project frustrated over $10k grant eligibility
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Kalihi businesses impacted by construction from the Honolulu Rail Transit Project can apply to get $10,000 from the city by Friday, Feb. 21 but workers said the money doesn't cover all they've rail project has been an issue for many businesses, especially those impacted by construction on Dillingham Boulevard. Shopowners complain traffic deters customers from the shopping plaza. 'For a regular customer coming in once in a while, just a lot of hassle,' said Elvin Lau, Owner of Elvin's Bakery. 'They change all the lanes every time from left to right, right to left. So it's confusing everybody.' Deadline to apply for rail-related mitigation extended Businesses losing revenue because of the project can apply for the Transit Construction Mitigation Fund, a $10,000 grant, to help pay for expenses. '[It's] to support smaller businesses that have annual revenues of less than $750,000, have 15 or fewer employees, and are totally owned by residents of the city and county,' said Andy Kawano, the City's Director of Budget and Fiscal Services. Shopowners stated it might not be worth going through the trouble because of eligibility requirements. '$10,000 right now? Rent is $20,000 every month. We have to pay maybe $1,000, $200 for help to set up all the information and stuff. We lose money more than what you get,' said Lau. The budget for the next fiscal year will be approved in June. If there is enough funding to keep the grant, officials said they are considering expanding eligibility requirements. 'When we go back and revisit the parameters of the program, there may be ways that we can look at what those required documents are and to make sure that these are things that businesses can readily find and upload,' stated City Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam. The City approved five applicants out of 29 as of Wednesday, Feb. 5. To help small businesses with the application process, the City extended its deadline to Friday, Feb. 21. 'There are about 17 applications that had been returned to applicants. We thought that maybe two more weeks would really help applicants to properly gather what they need,' said Kawano. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Deadline to apply for rail-related mitigation extended
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The deadline to apply for the rail-related Transit Construction Mitigation Fund (TCMF) has been extended by two City and County of Honolulu's Department of Budget and Fiscal Services announced that it was extending the application deadline for rail-related TCMF Grant Online Portal submissions on Tuesday. The portal, which originally opened for applications at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 27, had previously been scheduled to close on Friday, February 7. The passing of Bill 40 in January of 2024 established the TCMF to provide relief to eligible local businesses that have been financially impacted by the construction of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project. Hawaii transit fares, routes could change ahead of Rail's next segment For the current fiscal year, grants of $10,000 per applicant will be awarded on a first come, first served basis, based on authorized funding for the program. Grants are available to eligible businesses that: – Have 15 or fewer employees – Generate less than $750,000 in annual revenue – Are located within one block of active rail construction on Dillingham Boulevard – Are currently open for business – Are majority-owned by City residents – Were open for business at their current physical location before January 1, 2022 – Meet the business 10% revenue decline requirement For more information about the grant availability and the application process, visit Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Grant applications must be submitted by 10 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Friday, February 21, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
