Downtown Coordinating Council Announces Get Your Business Outside Program In Tulsa

Press release from City of Tulsa:

September 10, 2020

The Downtown Coordinating Council (DCC) has established the Get Your Business Outside grant program to assist Downtown Tulsa businesses with unbudgeted costs associated with safely operating outdoors to meet consumer demands and public health requirements.

Street-facing businesses within the Inner Dispersal Loop can apply for a reimbursement grant of up to $10,000 to implement outdoor service, seating, and sales areas. This program is being fully funded with federal CARES Act dollars through a generous allocation by Tulsa County CARES.

“Retail business that already operate at thin margins have been forced to drastically adjust their business models and pay the consequences of this global health pandemic,” DCC Executive Director Brian Kurtz said. “The Get Your Business Outside grant provides our Downtown businesses with critical funding to safely operate and meet consumer demands of outdoor operations in our current environment.”

Eligible expenses include outdoor furniture such as tables and chairs, lighting, umbrellas, barriers and building materials, construction and design expenses, and accessibility requirements. Grants can be used to reduce the costs of implementing the City of Tulsa’s right-of-way permit programs including sidewalk cafes and street parklets that now both utilize a self-certification process for temporary installations.

“Que Gusto has had to limit indoor seating these last few months and being able to add outdoor seating is very important to us,” Que Gusto Owner Carla Meneses said. “This funding will help provide another safer option for our customers and will help us get back to normal. It’s a win-win for the community.”

Full program details are available at www.DowntownTulsaOK.com/GYBO.

This press release was produced by the City of Tulsa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.