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For those that are not in the know, we here at Mecca Media Entertainment have decided to take on the responsibility to bring to the community a weekly broadcast for The Reporter Newspaper. The program will be featured weekly here on this page and the home page of this site.

The Reporter Newspaper is an all black operated and black-owned weekly newspaper/publication that's been telling our stories for 50 years. In 2016 The Reporter Newspaper announced that they were available online @thereporternewspaperonline.com which is the online equivalent (website) of the tangible form.

Now in-conjunction with Mecca Media Inc. you can hear/ see the news being read directly from the website via a weekly broadcast. The show is hosted by -Hiram Akeem

The City Of Akron And The Western Reserve Community Fund Launch The Akron Resiliency Fund For Small Businesses

 

Applications For Loans Up To $70,000 Available Today!

Akron, Ohio, October 14, 2020— Today, Mayor Horrigan has announced that the City of Akron is partnering with the Western Reserve Community Fund (WRCF) to launch the Akron Resiliency Fund (the “Fund”). WRCF is a non-profit managed by the Development Finance Authority of Summit County. The Fund will provide low-cost small business loans to help stabilize Akron’s small businesses. Long term, this fund will continue in perpetuity, supporting growth in the small business community of Akron while encouraging further investment in our local economy. The application is available starting today, October 14 at http://www.developmentfinanceauthority.org/services/akron-resiliency-fund/.

The Fund will partner with existing support programs and organizations like Great Streets, Rubber City Match, the Urban League, and the Bounce Innovation Hub to provide both technical assistance and critical capital for Akron small businesses, particularly in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The goal of the Fund is to create and retain quality, living wage jobs within Akron, with a lens of inclusive workforce development. Accordingly, loans will be made to maintain or grow existing businesses, as well as to start new businesses and employers as appropriate.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has put a huge strain on individuals and businesses alike," said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. "To meet the evolving challenges and pivot to deliver goods and services as safely as possible in this current climate, small businesses need flexible capital. We are confident that this new loan fund will be able to provide just that. The need for business support is ever-growing – and as a City, we must rise to meet that need to support the small businesses that are the backbone of our communities."

The Fund will be seeded with capital from the City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation from U.S. Housing and Urban Development, and will ideally leverage capital from local philanthropic sources, accredited individual investors, regional banks, and national investment partners.

The loan amounts will vary between $10,000 and $70,000, depending on business needs. The funding will be used for items like payroll, working capital, equipment, and refinancing debt. To qualify, businesses must have fewer than 50 employees and at least 25% of those employees must be Akron residents. The business must have annual gross revenues of less than $3 million. Some businesses/organizations are not eligible for the fund, including non-profits. To see if your business is eligible please click here.

"WRCF is thrilled to partner with the City of Akron to create the Akron Resiliency Fund," said Rachel Bridenstine, Executive Director of the Western Reserve Community Fund. "Providing access to equitable and flexible capital matters now more than ever, and we are grateful for the opportunity to structure a fund that will offer immediate and long-term support to Akron’s small and startup businesses."

Applications will be reviewed on a first come first serve basis, however the City has structured the loan pool to ensure an equitable distribution of loans with consideration for the following:

  • Geography: Loans will be available only to businesses located within a low to moderate income census tract, as defined by U.S. Census Bureau, within the City of Akron. To find out if your business is located in an eligible area please click here.

  • Jobs: Loans will be available only to businesses whose employees are (or will be) at least 25% Akron residents

  • Industry type: Loans will be available across a wide variety of businesses

  • Ownership demographics: Loans will be available to Akron business owners of all demographics

To learn more about the details of the loan and to apply, please visit http://www.developmentfinanceauthority.org/services/akron-resiliency-fund/ or call the Development Finance Authority at (330) 762-4776. 

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Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan Announces Final Pavement Work Is Complete For Main Street Phase I

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Akron, Ohio, September 30, 2020—Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan is pleased to announce that Main Street Phase I, a full improvement project from Cedar Street to Mill Street, is now open to two-way traffic throughout the entire project. Final pavement and striping work on Main St. was completed this week. Residents and visitors traveling downtown may now drive through all of Main Street from E. Cedar St. to W. Market St.

"Completing primary road work and reopening two-way traffic throughout Main St. is an incredibly important milestone in this project," said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. "Thanks to the investments we’ve made, the heart of downtown is now safer, more accessible, more beautiful, and more livable. In the coming weeks, I’m thrilled to invite visitors, workers, and residents alike to come and see the transformation for themselves. Hop on a Spin scooter, purchase an adult beverage in the DORA, take part in entertainment or programing at Lock 3, and earn extra rewards by supporting a local business while you're here. It's an exciting time to come back downtown, and we can't wait to see you on Main Street!” 

Pedestrian access on the West side of Main Street will be substantially complete in two weeks with some additional work remaining along the East sidewalk. The only other work remaining in the Main Street Phase I project is final landscaping, lighting, and signage/signalization. 

Mayor Horrigan will be celebrating the completion of Phase I with a virtual ribbon cutting event on Thursday, October 15. The event will be livestreamed for residents and businesses.  Details will be released closer to the event.

DORA:
Adding to the vibrancy of Main Street is the new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) along the Lock3/Akron Civic Theatre block of downtown Akron, which opens tomorrow, October 1st.  The Akron DORA is a designated public area where alcoholic beverages can be purchased from permitted establishments and consumed outside, within the district. Starting tomorrow, local customers looking for a unique, outdoor refreshment experience can visit Barley House, Lockview, or Lock 3 (during designated events) and purchase a “to-go” beverage to be enjoyed while strolling downtown within the DORA.  For more information, please visit www.downtownakron.com/explore/downtown-akron-dora. 

DAP:
Downtown Akron Partnership is celebrating the reopening of Main Street by launching Picture Yourself on Main. This new initiative is your invitation to be a part of the new downtown Akron Main Street. Look for Picture Yourself on Main programs in the coming months, with opportunities to enjoy new, iconic sights and experiences you can only have downtown. Updates can be found at www.downtownakron.com/explore/picture-yourself-on-main.  

Lock 3:
As a welcome back to Main Street, Lock 3 is offering a variety of fall programming options for residents and visitors to enjoy:

  • THIS WEEKEND! Oktoberfest: Come on down to Lock 3 for live music, drinks from local breweries, and German food. The fun fall event will take place this Friday Oct. 2 and Sat. Oct. 3 from 7:00pm-10:00pm. Music kicks off at 7:30pm.

  • Beginning Wednesday Oct. 7, Lock 3 is rebooting its Wednesday night concert series. Concerts will start at 7pm and have been moved from their previous venue of Lock 4 to Lock 3 to allow for more room to socially distance.

  • Several fitness programs including yoga, Zumba, and drum fit will continue at Lock 3 throughout the fall season.

  • Lock 3 is collaborating with the Akron Children's Museum to host family fun time throughout the month of October. Join us every Saturday from 1:00-6:00 pm for a variety of family friendly activities and programming.

  • For all events, please visit www.Lock3Live.com for more details. The Lock 3 October Events & Calendar page will be updated with specific dates and times, or you can follow Lock 3 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lock3Live for more information.

Akronite App:
To celebrate the reopening of Main St., the Akronite app is offering an extra 10% back in Blimps when you use the app to shop at businesses on Main Street. The app is free and easy to download on Apple or Android devices. After downloading, simply link your payment card, and start earning Blimps!

Parking:
The City will continue to offer free two hour parking in designated downtown lots and the State Street parking deck through the end of 2020. See a map with the locations here.

Main Street Phase 2:
In final downtown news, the City will break ground on the Main Street Corridor Project, Phase 2, later this month. With the help of $13.5 million in federal, state, and private funding, Main Street Phase 2 will continue full-depth improvements from Mill Street to State Route 59.

In 2020, all construction on Phase 2 will be limited to sidewalks, and the roadway will remain open during this early portion of the project. Construction of the roadway will start next year, and will wrap up in early 2022.  There will be a public meeting for members of the community to learn more about Phase II and to provide feedback. More details will be announced on that soon.

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