Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves $1.385 million LiftFund contract, expands construction-mitigation grants to nonprofits and North New Braunfels corridor
Summary
San Antonio City Council on April 3 approved a $1,385,000 contract with LiftFund to administer the city's 2025 Construction Mitigation Grant Program and adopted amendments extending eligibility to nonprofit performing-arts venues reliant on ticket revenue and businesses along North New Braunfels Avenue (Phase 1 and 2). The item passed after
San Antonio City Council voted April 3 to approve a $1,385,000 contract with LiftFund to administer the Economic Development 2025 Construction Mitigation Grant Program. Council amended the program on the floor to broaden eligibility before approving the contract.
The council adopted two amendments before final passage: one expanded eligibility to "nonprofit venues that rely primarily on revenue from ticket sales for in-person attendance at a series of events or programs," and a second added businesses along the North New Braunfels Avenue corridor (Phase 1 and Phase 2) to the program targets. Those amendments were made and approved on the council floor before the main motion was carried.
The program is intended to help businesses affected by city-initiated construction projects; council members cited examples of venues and small businesses that lost patrons during lengthy construction periods. Councilmember Korr offered the eligibility amendment to include nonprofit venues that rely on ticket revenue, citing the need to help organizations such as children's theaters that lost thousands of patrons because of access and parking constraints. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez moved the inclusion of North New Braunfels businesses, referencing repeated construction activity and business closures along that corridor.
City staff said the LiftFund contract would be funded from the FY2025 general fund and that program components would address active and post-construction impacts. Staff explained that proposed contracts would specify payment structures, and the program would be administered with a focus on reimbursement for demonstrated losses or mitigation activities.
Councilmembers praised the initiative as an immediate, targeted relief measure for small businesses and cultural organizations. "There's so many businesses that are hurting, because of the lengthy time of city-initiated construction," Councilmember Mark White said. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez emphasized prior impacts on the North New Braunfels corridor, noting past disbursements had not reached many eligible businesses there.
The council voted to approve the amended contract; the motion carried and staff will proceed with program implementation and award administration through LiftFund.
