By CHARLOTTE KANNER
PHOTO CREDIT Jalen Wade
Fifteen College Park businesses received grants from the city through a program funded by PNC Bank.
The city’s Retail Reinforcement Mini-Grant Program awarded $75,000 in funding to help offset losses from the ongoing Purple Line construction..
Michael Williams, the city’s economic development director, said the construction caused traffic delays and detours that significantly reduced foot and vehicle traffic to more than 100 businesses. The grant money helped the recipients cover rent, equipment, payroll and lease payments.
“PNC had recently opened its first branch in the city and, as a new neighbor, we felt extending support through this PNC Foundation grant was the right thing to do,” PNC Senior Vice President Kathryn Clay said in an email. “Supporting small businesses is a priority focus for PNC, so this opportunity was a great fit.”
“The money flew out the door” once the city announced the grant in December 2024,” Williams said. “The funds ran out by February.”
“It didn’t take long,” Williams said, noting approximately 25 businesses applied for the grant.
To be eligible, businesses had to be licensed in College Park, be located within a quarter mile of construction, be in good standing with the state and describe how traffic closures disrupted their operations. Tattoo parlors, liquor stores, vape shops and cannabis dispensaries were not eligible for the grant.
“We were on the street with this program,” Williams said. “We knew people were hurting. We knew our merchants were really upset with the traffic diversions.”
Jumbo Jumbo Cafe, a Taiwanese restaurant on the street level of Domain College Park, an apartment complex, has lost between 50 percent and 60 percent of sales because of reduced foot and vehicle traffic from Purple Line construction on Campus Drive, according to manager Qin Chih.
“It’s very harmful,” Chih said. “It’s really hard for us.”
The restaurant received a $15,000 grant from the city, which helped cover rent costs of about $5,000 a month.
“It’s helpful,” Chih said. “It’s better than nothing.”
Jumbo Jumbo Cafe has operated in College Park for a decade. Chih said having the university nearby and serving college students are the biggest benefits of owning a small business in the area.
Laser Essential, a hair removal business on Baltimore Avenue, also lost customers and had cancellations because of traffic congestion, said co-owner Keith Bouchelion, who noted that construction may have reduced visibility of the storefront from the street. But he acknowledged that drivers stuck in construction-induced traffic backups might have noticed the business while they were sitting in their cars.
Still, Bouchelion said it is hard to gauge the impact of traffic disruptions, but he believes they have hurt the store more than they have helped it.
The grant, he said, is “very well appreciated, especially during these turbulent times and uncertainty. It shows a commitment from the city, that they care about us and they care about our businesses.”
Williams said city officials hope to expand the grant program by forming partnerships with other banks and with grocers and government agencies.
“If we can keep our businesses from shuttering [and] stay open, stay viable and be part of the community, then my job is done,” Williams said.
