The Orlando City Council on Monday approved a number of measures aimed at helping small businesses create jobs and ultimately economic prosperity in communities across the city.
The City proposes to:
- Waive the collection of transportation impact fees for small businesses for one year
- Reinstate the Business Assistance Program to offset 50 percent of development fees up to $20,000
- Extend funding for the University of Central Florida (UCF) Business Incubator-Orlando through end August 2012
- Fund Orlando Main Street Program districts for an additional five years to the tune of $35,000 per year.
The Orlando Main Street Program advocates strengthening Orlando’s neighborhood commercial business districts by enhancing their one-of-a-kind assets: distinctive architecture, a pedestrian-friendly environment, personal service, local ownership and a sense of community.
The City’s five designated Main Street districts–Audubon Park Garden District, College Park Partnership, Downtown South, Ivanhoe Village and Mills 50–since the programs inception in 2007, have experienced more than $138 million in improvements, the addition of more than 1,000 full and part-time jobs and 177 new businesses.
