Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was in Ithaca on Monday promoting the recently enacted American Rescue Plan.
In it is an additional $1.25 billion for independent live venues, performing arts organizations, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions and included a critical fix that allows venues to access a PPP loan and a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, deducting the PPP loan amount from the grant amount.
Applications open for the Save Our Stages program on April 8. Venues will be able to apply for a PPP loan in addition to the grant funding.
“Independent venues, like theaters, concert halls, and cinemas, are the beating heart of New York’s cultural life and a driving force in the Upstate economy. These local businesses were among the first to shut down at the start of the pandemic, are struggling to stay afloat, and will be among the last to fully reopen, costing jobs and leaving a giant hole in the fabric of our communities,” said Senator Schumer. “That is why I made sure this relief bill included a swan song – additional reliefs dollars to boost the Save Our Stages legislation and a critical technical fix to allow venues to access PPP and flexible grant support. Getting federal dollars into the hands of struggling small businesses, like independent venues in the Southern Tier, not only makes sense, but it’s the curtain call needed to keep small businesses like Cinemapolis and the Hangar Theatre going and keeping their workers on the job.”
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