BizCare
From April 2022 to August 2022 Long Beach BizCare Program will be holding BizCare Pop-Ups. The Long Beach BizCare Program is a program that supports small business from across Long Beach that have been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The program was launched in 2020 and they connect business owners to important resources and information, such as grants, loans, technical assistance, information on City policies, and more. The Pop-Ups are three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays. Below is a list of the time and location:
- Monday – Admiral Kidd Park, 2125 Santa Fe Ave; 9am-4pm
- Tuesday – The Corner Pop-Up, 2640 E Anaheim St; 9am-4pm
- Thursday – Mark Twain Library, 1401 E Anaheim St, 10am-4pm
BizCare Program additionally provides Hotline and Email, Outreach Team, and Community Based Organization Partnerships as resources for Long Beach residents. The pop-ups provide business owners or their representatives with free one-on-one, in-person support to complete local, non-profit, state, and federal grant applications free of charge. Businesses are also introduced to other resources, such as loans and free technical assistance. Services are delivered in English, Spanish, and Khmer. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can schedule an appointment with one of our Pop-Up staff members: Niyah (English), Rachel (Englis, Khmer), Leaandro (English, Spanish), Ana (English, Spanish).
The Bizcare Hotline and Email provides information to businesses on small business programs and resources, Health Orders, and relevant City policies. The hotline operates Monday’s through Friday’s from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Business owners may contact Customer Service Representatives via the BizCare Hotline by calling 562-570-4BIZ (4249).
Businesses may also contact Customer Service Representatives by email at 4Biz@longbeach.gov. Both voicemails and emails received will be responded to within 24 hours for customers that contact the BizCare team after normal working hours.
BizCare Outreach
The City of Long Beach Department of Economic Development recently expanded its BizCare Program to include the BizCare Outreach Team. The BizCare Outreach Team will primarily focus on helping small businesses located in low-to-moderate income areas learn about and benefit from small business grants, loans, technical assistance, and more. The team will also help businesses complete grant applications to help them survive and recover.
Community-Based Organization (CBO) Partnerships
The BizCare CBO Partnerships team focuses on establishing partnerships with CBOs to further promote and help business owners access resource. The BizCare staff has collaborated with CBOs by providing regular updates on grant applications, the latest grant information, and by attending community events to engage with business owners and the community.
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Airport Terminal Fund
The federal Airport Terminal Fund is a new funding source that originates from the White House’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Act will awards almost a $1 billion between 85 airports one of which is the Long Beach Airport which will receive about $10.6 million. The funding is used to improve and provide a first-class modern experience at American Airports. The $10.6 million will go to fund Phase II Terminal Area Improvement Program for the Long Beach Airport. This program is stated by the Airport Director to “improve passenger flow on the terminal loop and will provide critical access improvements for people with disabilities or mobility challenges”. This includes the following:
- Improvements to the curb cuts, ramps, signage, handrails and other features at drop-off and pick-up sites;
- The installation of audible warning detection systems at pedestrian crossings;
- Carving out safe paths of travel for customers with mobility challenges to the airport’s parking and public transit facilities; and
- The construction of a designated transit stop for service providers such as Long Beach Transit and Dial-A-Ride.
The Phase II of the project will also include 30 ticketing kiosks for passengers to check in flights that will state of the art touchless machines. There will be 21 ticketing counters which any airline can utilize. The Terminal will get additional improvements that aren’t regularly seen at an airport will be a rental car ready return lot, a meet-and-greet plaza with concessions, and a transportation center. The budget was first approved by the City Council in 2020 at a total of $110.24 million; however, with the recent inflation and price changes during the pandemic that budget price has changed. Currently, the Long Beach Airport has a noise ordinance that only allows 53 daily flights which may change depending on how the improvements on the airport affect the noise in the surrounding communities.
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Port of Long Beach
Starting July 1st, 2022 the Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles will be implementing a fee on companies that have import containers linger at the marine terminals. In recent months there has been a backlog of imports that end up stagnant. The fee expires on July 28 unless the harbor commission vote to extend it for a third time. The point of the fee is to speed the processing of cargo at the San Pedro Port Complex to eliminate the backlog. There has been import containers that have been reportedly stuck for at least nine days. The fee price would be $100 per container with an increase by $100 per container each day. The fees will be used to reinvent in programs that will enhance efficiency, accelerate cargo velocity, and address congestion impacts at the ports. The policy was developed in coordination with the Biden-Harris Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, U.S. Department of Transportation and multiple supply chain stakeholders. Since the program was announced on Oct. 25, the two ports have seen a combined decline of 49% in aging cargo on the docks.
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For more information, please contact Mary Frances Torres, SR/WA, Acting Real Estate Development Bureau Manager, Economic Development Department, at mary.torres@longbeach.gov.
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