Fort Worth offers financial assistance to businesses affected by Sandman Hotel explosion
March 26,2024
See full The Dallas Morning News article by Zaeem Shaikh here.
Some businesses in the vicinity of the Sandman hotel explosion in downtown Fort Worth could recieve help from the city in nearly a month.
The Jan. 8 blast at the Sandman Signature Hotel, 810 Houston St., injured nearly two dozen people and sent debris and parts of the building facade onto the sidewalks and nearby streets. The ongoing cleanup had blocked entryways for nearby businesses and limited motorist and foot traffic.
Officials with the Fort Worth Economic Development Department had begun plans a month later to devise how to help impacted businesses. At a board meeting of the city’s Local Development Corp., officials presented a small business disaster-recovery stimulus program: a fund of $250,000 to divvy up, which was approved.
Businesses could seek a grant of up to $50,000 from the program, said Ori Fernandez, the assistant director of the city’s economic development department.
As part of the presentation, Fernandez laid out some guidelines for businesses to qualify. Among others, they must have a brick-and-mortar location, must be in business for at least six months prior to the explosion and must have experienced a decline in employment or decrease in revenue due to impacts from the blast.
Fernandez and Robert Sturns, the director of the economic development department, had said five businesses were most in need of the funds. In the meeting, Sturns had mentioned several businesses on or near West Eighth Street, including La’ Creamian, Thompson’s Bookstore, Barber’s Bookstore and a nearby law office.
However, Fernandez told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that others in the area will be able to apply as well. She said applications will be reviewed by the economic development department and awarded by the end of April, if not sooner.
“We will be using a scoring matrix and that will determine the amount of funding that each of these eligible businesses would be awarded,” Fernandez said in the board meeting.
The businesses that receive funds will, within six months, have to provide documentation of how the money was used, Fernandez said.
“I just want to thank you for doing this,” said city council member Elizabeth Beck. “Many of these businesses have been in contact with our office and have expressed the impact to them that the Sandman explosion has had just to their day-to-day business... as they try to go on with their daily lives.”
The funds can be used for several approved business needs, including rent or mortgage payments, employee expenses, utilities and the purchase of supplies to offer alternative business access, such as curbside pickup or delivery services.
More than two months have passed since the explosion. Investigators have not yet determined a cause of the blast. Lawsuits have piled up against the owners of the building (Northland Properties), the gas provider (Atmos Energy) and others. Court orders blocked crews for weeks from removing debris from the explosion site.
Contractors received a permit from the city in early February to begin cleanup. Atmos Energy has asked a judge to absolve the company of blame, but that case is still pending and has a hearing scheduled for April. The company in January said it “found no indication” that its “system was involved” in the blast.
Some business owners expressed excitement and relief about the program, the Star-Telegram reported. Lisa Jackson, owner of the ice cream shop La’Creamian, told the newspaper the grant money would be wonderful.
Brian Perkins, owner of Barber’s Bookstore, said he “can probably cover the window repairs for that.”
Locations Mentioned: Barber's Bookstore, La'Creamian, Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, Thompson's Bookstore