DETROIT (WXYZ) — Bedrock Detroit announced Monday it will waive all rent, expenses and parking fees for restaurants and stores that qualify as a small business for three months during the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to Bedrock, rent and other fees will be waived in April, May and June to help them weather the outbreak and use their resources to pay other bills and meet payroll commitments.
“As with all of our tenants, entrepreneurs and small businesses play an incredibly important role in our local economy, which has been central to Dan Gilbert’s vision over the last 10 years of his investments in Detroit and Cleveland,” Bedrock CEO Matt Cullen said in a release. “It is going to take the entire community to mitigate the effects of this pandemic on the region, and we are happy to do our part to help our portfolio’s most vulnerable businesses weather the storm. We are staying in close contact with each of our tenants and stakeholders everyday to understand their needs and concerns, and how we can help.”
Those businesses do have to qualify as a "small business" based on criteria established using industry and government standards.
The company is also rolling out relief programs for small businesses, with more information and a resource guide at bedrockdetroit.com.
Many businesses in downtown Detroit remain open and have also rolled out innovative adaptions to continue serving the community. Those businesses can be found here, and the list will be continually updated.
“It has been inspirational to watch as business owners have adapted to confront our current challenges,” continued Cullen. “At Bedrock we continue to look for additional ways to support our small business tenants, through catering orders, participation in virtual yoga classes, and more. We urge those living and working downtown to consult the site we’ve set up when you’re ordering lunch or dinner, or are looking for a social distancing-friendly gift idea.”
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Find out how you can help metro Detroit restaurants struggling during the pandemic.
See all of our Helping Each Other stories.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.