Downtown Akron Partnership will continue to coordinate with business and property owners, government and nonprofits to help ensure the safety and well-being of our downtown family. We are working closely with these partners and through national recommendations from the International Downtown Association to aggregate useful information for you regarding COVID-19.  

Please check back to these resource pages for updates as the situation evolves.

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HEALTH QUESTIONS ABOUT COVID-19

If you have questions about COVID-19, visit the Ohio Department of Health website at coronavirus.ohio.gov. You can also call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

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RECENT UPDATES

Greater Akron Chamber COVID-19 Recent Updates

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RESOURCES FOR BUSINESS

• Greater Akron Chamber COVID-19 Resource Guide

• State of Ohio resources

  • Responsible Restart Ohio
    • Sector specific operating guidelines
    • 1-Page Planning Guide for Reopening
  • State of Ohio Small Business Relief Office
  • Ohio Minority Micro-Enterprise Grant Program
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Resources for Businesses and Employers

• Workplace Environment Resources

  • Physical distancing products: APG
  • PPE and Office Cleaning Resources
• Google for Small Businesses
• Main Street Lending Program - Federal Reserve

• Small Business Administration Resources

  • U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Impact Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) 
  • SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) 
• Akron Urban League resources for businesses

• Resources for Arts, Nonprofits

  • ArtsNow Nonprofit, Arts and Artist Resources
  • Unemployment resources for artists, gig workers, self employed, etc.
  • Cleveland & Northeast Ohio Creatives Emergency Response Program (enrollment open June 22 - 26, 2020)

• Resources for Restaurants

  • National Restaurant Association
    • Reopening Guidance from National Restaurant Association
  • Ohio Restaurant Association
    • Ohio Restaurant Association webinars and town hall meetings

• Resources for Salons, Barbershops, etc.

  • Professional Beauty Association
  • Back to Work Guidelines from the Professional Beauty Association

• Additional Funding Opportunities

  • HFLA of Northeast Ohio (small business loans)
  • ECDI Recovery Loan
  • Honeycomb Credit
  • Kiva

• Marketing Support

  • Akron [RE]bound
  • Support Local Akron
  • Support Local Ohio
  • Free Restaurant Listing on Cleveland.com
  • Webinar: Production, Distribution, Live Streaming, Getting Paid

• Legal Support

  • Akron Bar Association (legal questions or referrals)

EMPLOYEE RESOURCES

• Greater Akron Chamber COVID-19 Resource Guide
• ConxusNEO
• HFLA of Northeast Ohio (interest-free loans for individuals)
• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
• Akron Urban League resources
• COVID-19 Artist Relief Grant

UTILITY RESOURCES

• Dominion — Suspension of utility shutoff
• FirstEnergy — Suspension of utility shutoff.
  • Payment arrangements available for small business:
  • Customers can have up to 6 months on a payment arrangement with little to no money down. Late payment charges are being waived.
  • FirstEnergy has established a customer service team dedicated to our non-residential customers. This team can provide helpful information on available assistance programs and offer payment agreements if needed. If you would like more information, please contact your utility company at 1-800-633-4766 and ask to speak to a member of the Small Business Team. Members of this team are available 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. 
• City of Akron Water and Sewer — Suspension of utility shutoff

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

• Ohio Department of Health
• 2-1-1 United Way of Summit County (assistance for individuals and families)
• American Red Cross Summit County
• Akron Canton Regional Foodbank

TIPS FOR ENJOYING PUBLIC SPACE

• National Recreation and Park Association

DOWNTOWN PUBLIC PARTNER UPDATES

• City of Akron
• County of Summit
• METRO RTA

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

• Census 2020

Taxes (The deadline for filing individual and business income tax returns has been moved to July 15, 2020.)

• Federal
• State of Ohio
• City of Akron

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updated July 8, 2020, 10 a.m.