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Small firms in Oswego awarded $225K in COVID-19 grants

The City of Oswego awarded Vona’s Restaurant $10,000 in its COVID-19 REVIVAL grant program. (PHOTO CREDIT: CITY OF OSWEGO FACEBOOK PROFILE)

OSWEGO, N.Y. — More than 30 small businesses in the city of Oswego will use funding from the city’s COVID-19 REVIVAL grant program. Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow on May 25 announced the recipients of the grant program, which is funded through the federal government’s American Rescue Plan, per a news release on the City of […]

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — More than 30 small businesses in the city of Oswego will use funding from the city’s COVID-19 REVIVAL grant program.

Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow on May 25 announced the recipients of the grant program, which is funded through the federal government’s American Rescue Plan, per a news release on the City of Oswego website.

Barlow in April announced the creation of the grant program to help local businesses with reopening and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally, Oswego had allocated $150,000 from the $1.89 million the city received from the American Rescue Plan. After getting about 50 applications totaling more than $750,000 in funding requests, the city increased the available funding from $150,000 to $225,000.

To be eligible, businesses had to demonstrate a hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic that prevented the business from reopening or propose a project in reaction to the pandemic. New businesses, businesses looking to relocate, expansions, or improvement projects were also eligible for funding.

“We received a great deal of interest in the program, further demonstrating the need and continued assistance our local, small business owners need during this difficult time,” said Barlow. “Our REVIVAL grant funding will help businesses fully recover from the pandemic while allowing for businesses to tackle additional improvement projects and enhancements to safely serve customers moving forward,” Barlow said.

The grant recipients included Vona’s Restaurant, which indicated that it’s “humbled and thankful” for its $10,000 grant.

“With this grant we will be able to complete our outdoor dining project,” David Haight, of Vona’s Restaurant, said.

If they haven’t done so already, businesses awarded REVIVAL funding should contact the City of Oswego Office of Economic Development, located at 44 East Bridge St., at (315) 343-3795 to get started on the grant-allocation process.

Projects awarded funding must be completed by July 2022, the City of Oswego said.

Recipients and funding amounts

• Murdock’s Bike Shop - $3,000

• Riverside Artisans - $3,000

• Sensibility Outfitters - $3,000

• Gaslight Pub - $3,000

• Oswego Comic Shop - $3,000

• Karpinski’s Dry Cleaning - $3,000

• Zamp’s Apparel- $5,000

• AlleyCat - $5,000

• Garafolo’s Imports - $5,000

• Spencer’s Ali - $5,000