$3M of approved Metro Council budget going to South End Business Attraction Fund

TO AN ARREST AND CONVICTION. METRO COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE THE CITY’S $1.2 BILLION BUDGET. SO WE’RE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT WHERE THAT MONEY IS GOING. MOST OF THE MONEY IS GOING TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, JUST TO NAME A FEW. BUT 3 MILLION IS GOING TO SOUTH END BUSINESS ATTRACTION FUND. WLKY’S MADISON ELLIOTT IS LIVE IN VALLEY STATION WITH A LOOK AT HOW THIS MONEY WILL HELP THEIR MADISON. HEY GUYS! WELL, THE FUND WILL PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT RETAILERS AND OTHER BUSINESSES TO THE AREA, AND WE HEADED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TODAY TO TALK TO PEOPLE. AND THEY TELL US THEY’RE EXCITED. ALMOST EVERY DAY YOU CAN FIND SEANA HUM AT STOMPING GROUNDS COFFEE VALLEY STATION. IT’S HER GO TO PLACE FOR HER DAILY CAFFEINE FIX. WHEN I GO OUT OF TOWN I TRY TO TAKE ME A COLD ONE WITHOUT ICE SO I CAN HAVE IT THE NEXT DAY AND. WHEN OWNERS JULIE AND DAVID KENNEDY OPENED IN 2016, THEY BECAME THE FIRST LOCALLY OWNED MOM AND POP COFFEE SHOP IN VALLEY STATION. FOR NEARLY TEN YEARS, THEY’VE BEEN BREWING UP COFFEE AND COMMUNITY, BUT IT’S AMAZING BECAUSE THIS IS A WATERING HOLE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE CONGREGATE HERE TO BE WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SHE KNOWS BUSINESSES LIKE HERS ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF A COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHY SHE’S EXCITED. METRO COUNCIL APPROVED $3 MILLION FOR THE SOUTH END BUSINESS ATTRACTION FUND. I FEEL LIKE VALLEY STATION HAS ALWAYS KIND OF TAKEN THE BACK SEAT TO GETTING SOME FUNDING AND STUFF OUT HERE. WE GET THINGS LAST AND SOME, SO SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE FORGOTTEN ABOUT AND SO THAT THAT IS REALLY GREAT. COUNCILMAN KHALIL BACHON REPRESENTS VALLEY STATION AND SAYS HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME PUSHING FOR THIS MONEY. MY PRIORITY IS NET POSITIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR THE SOUTH END. THE FUND WILL ALLOW FOR GRANTS AND LOANS THROUGH A METRO GOVERNMENT PROGRAM AND INCENTIVIZE ANCHOR TENANTS AND BUSINESSES ALONG DIXIE HIGHWAY, ANOTHER SOUTH END CORRIDOR IS TO GO OUT AND SAY, HEY, WE REALLY WANT YOUR BUSINESS TO COME TO DIXIE HIGHWAY OR THE SOUTH END OR FAIRDALE OR NEW CUT ROAD. WHAT’S IT GOING TO COST TO TO DO THAT? HOW CAN WE HELP YOU GET OVER THAT THRESHOLD? LIFELONG RESIDENTS LIKE HUM SAY THEY’RE GRATEFUL THERE COULD BE MORE BUSINESSES TO BUILD UPON THE COMMUNITY. I WANT TO GO WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS MY NAME. AND ANOTHER 3 MILLION WAS ALSO APPROVED FOR THE EAST END INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT FUND