Councilwoman wants to give shops tax breaks if road work hurts business

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Repaving roads is a necessary evil, but what if repairing infrastructure drives customers away from businesses? A Philadelphia councilwoman has a proposed solution.

Councilwoman Cindy Bass says she believes major street construction projects have been too much for certain businesses. She wants to offer affected shops a tax credit. 

“Whenever there is a infrastructure improvement, which tends to often shut businesses down on a commercial corridor,” Bass said. “We want to make sure that they are alive that they come back that they are able to maintain during that time of improvement in a city as old as Philadelphia.” 

Bass is proposing setting aside $1 million for such tax breaks that in some cases she says could save businesses.  Individual businesses could get credit for up to $20,000

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“If you look at what happened on the Market Frankford El or also what happened in my district along Germantown Avenue, when there were major improvements to be done, it took a number of years to be done and in the example of Market Street you had a beautiful corridor, but no businesses left.”

Her proposal will be subject of an upcoming hearing.

 

 

 

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