A statewide program that provides grants to small businesses has given funds to several local staples in Five Points and Westwood.
The Community Business Preservation program, which is run out of Colorado’s office of Economic Development and International Trade, awards money, training and consultation support to groups of small businesses at risk of displacement. It’s geared toward businesses that have made significant marks on their communities.
“When I heard about the grant, I thought it was perfect for Five Points because the goal of the grant is to preserve history, preserve community, preserve culture. It was meant to support businesses that are at risk of displacement,” said Benilda Samuels, the executive director of AYA Foundation. “And well, very few places in the country have had more displacement than Five Points.”
In order to apply, at least two businesses needed to form a cohort and collaborate with a local sponsoring group such as a nonprofit or business improvement district.
Samuels said once she learned about the grant, she reached out to the six businesses to get the cohort started. Those businesses included Agave Shore, Green Spaces, Spangalang Brewery, TeaLee’s Tea House & Bookstore, Urban Sanctuary and Welton Street Cafe.
Through the program, the collective group would be given a sum of money with each individual business getting between $10,000 to $30,000 and each sponsor receiving $10,000.
The Five Points cohort will receive $190,000 and Samuels said each business would receive $30,000.
Many of the businesses in the cohort are some of the last remaining Black-owned businesses in Five Points. Staples like Welton Street Cafe (which will reopen soon) and Urban Sanctuary, which was originally a mortuary run by Frederick Douglass’s sons, are not only part of Five Points history, they’re Black history.
“It’s not easy to be here in Five Points… [The cost of] everything has really gone up and that's part of the displacement,” Samuels said. “What the grant does is allow some dollars to come in and help with some of those expenses that can help prevent any kind of displacement…If [the businesses] are there, then our culture will stay.”
Samuels said having the businesses remain in the neighborhood will also contribute to generational wealth.
The same goes for the businesses in Westwood. BuCu West is the sponsor for the Westwood businesses that include Bule Bule Neveria y Malteadas, Celebrate the Cake, Kahlo’s Mexican Restaurant, Panaderia Jarocho and Westwood Warehouse/Unit E Productions partnered. They are receiving $104,300.
In total, 58 businesses across the state will be receiving the grant. The program was first announced in October of last year, so this is the first group of businesses to receive the funding. Stay tuned for new opportunities.
“This is an incredible win,” Samuels said. “These are business owners determined to make sure they have successful businesses, but they're also determined to make sure that our history and our culture isn't forgotten.”
See the full list of recipients below:
Aurora - $190,000
Six African immigrant-owned businesses that provide culturally aware services and products to the local immigrant community: Affectionate Transition Agency, Express Wireless, Gihon International Market, Guaranteed Care Services, KW Global Market, and Zonyadeh. Sponsoring entity: Global Refugee Solutions.
Brush Main Street - $187,000
Six businesses located in Brush's designated Main Street District that serve as the exclusive providers of their respective goods or services in the community: Center for Healing Trauma and Attachment, Consultants for Children, Corral Sports Bar & Grill, Sher’s Tax & Accounting/A.R.M.S. Building, Sands Theater, and Slavinka Cafe. Sponsoring entity: Brush Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Cortez - $179,000
Six women-owned or managed retail businesses with family ties to Montezuma County and Cortez are committed to supporting local artisans and products as well as giving back to the local community: High Desert Life Outdoors, Love On A Hanger, Merriweather Home & Market, Notah Dineh Trading Company, Turquoise Raven Art Gallery, and Zu Gallery. Sponsoring entity: City of Cortez.
Downtown Colorado Springs Creative District - $182,000
Six businesses in the Downtown Colorado Springs Creative District represent over 75 years of investment in the creative economy of Downtown Colorado Springs, three of which are LGBTQ+-owned: Auric Gallery, Bosky Studios, ICONS, Ladyfingers Letterpress, Shuga’s Restaurant & Bar, and Yobel. Sponsoring entity: Downtown Ventures.
Five Points Alive - $190,000
Six Black-owned businesses committed to the revitalization and cultural preservation of Denver's historic Five Points district: Agave Shore, Green Spaces, Spangalang Brewery, TeaLee’s Tea House & Bookstore, Urban Sanctuary, and Welton Street Cafe. Sponsoring entity: AYA Foundation.
Gunnison - $130,000
Four Hispanic-owned businesses well-respected by the wider Gunnison Valley community also provide some of the first touchpoints for Spanish speakers moving to the valley: Agave Family Mexican Restaurant, CJMTZ Painting, D’Luna Mexican Store, and El Paraiso Family Mexican Restaurant. Sponsoring entity: Region 10 League for Economic Assistance and Planning.
Downtown Pueblo - $130,000
Four businesses owned by native Puebloans are coming together to provide a voice for local business owners, support beautification projects and spotlight the downtown and riverwalk area of Pueblo: Bojon Bro’s, Olde Towne Carriage House, The Gold Dust Saloon, and The Walter Brewing Company. Sponsoring entity: Southern Colorado Economic Development District.
Downtown Sterling - $130,000
Four businesses located in Sterling's designated Historic and Creative Districts that represent key elements of the history of Logan County and serve as a magnet for visitors to downtown Sterling: Fox 5 Theater, Karyn’s Western Decor and Fashion, KC’s Music and Electronics, and Sweetly Vintage. Sponsoring entity: Logan County Economic Development Corp.
Southeast Colorado Springs - $190,000
Six businesses in downtown Colorado Springs and Pueblo are committed to improving the overall health of individuals through the services such as healthy food, clean living spaces, protecting cultural customs and access to childcare: A Fresh Move, Felipes 109, Leave It At Your Door, Luxe Daiquiri Lounge, The Lighthouse Early Childcare and Education Corporation, and Viva Marketing and Consulting. Sponsoring entity: The Thrive Network.
Yampa Valley - $160,000
Five agricultural producers in the rural communities of Routt and Moffat counties are working together to preserve local agricultural practices and traditions: Fetcher Ranch, Moon Hill Dairy, Mountain Bluebird Farm, Murr Made Meats, and Snowden Meats. Sponsoring entity: Community Agriculture Alliance.
Westwood - $104,300
Five Latinx-owned businesses in the Westwood neighborhood of Denver whose owners and employees are committed to preserving the cultural roots of the community they serve while staying in Westwood: Bule Bule Neveria y Malteadas, Celebrate the Cake, Kahlo’s Mexican Restaurant, Panaderia Jarocho, and Westwood Warehouse/Unit E Productions. Sponsoring entity: BuCu West.
