PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Earlier this year, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced $135,000 in grants to help business districts affected by the deadly shooting at Brown University, but some local businesses are now questioning where that money is going.
The funding was distributed to three merchant associations — Thayer Street District, Wickenden Area and Wayland Square — rather than directly to individual businesses.
BACKGROUND: Providence offers assistance to businesses impacted by Brown University shooting
Several business owners told 12 News that even a small portion of direct funding could have helped their recovery in the weeks following the Dec. 13 shooting.
The general manager of Spectrum India on Thayer Street said they would have been one of the businesses to benefit from the grants, after it served as a shelter for students during the shooting and was heavily affected in the aftermath. The College Hill staple recently announced it will shut down after nearly six decades, but the general manager said recovery funds could have helped cover bills and payroll…