LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — More than two dozen plazas and businesses in the Chinatown and Koreatown corridors are receiving a major influx of grant funding as part of a larger plan to improve the area.
WATCH | Anjali Patel, who has been tracking the story, heard from business owners in the area about what the funding means for them:
Shanghai Plaza — one of the most recognizable landmarks in Chinatown — is among the shopping centers and businesses receiving investment through the new Inspiring Spring Mountain Corridor Improvement Grant Program.
The plaza will use part of its $75,000 award to replace heat-damaged security cameras and install a DVR system to support Metro police investigations.
In total, $1.5 million was available through the program. Grant money can be used for safety, lighting and traffic circulation improvements, facade and storefront enhancements, and placemaking and public art.
Nearly half of the approved project scopes will focus on security upgrades — a priority that resonates with business owners who say they have been waiting for an investment like this.
Michael Li, owner of Palette Tea Lounge, said the funding addresses a problem that has grown in recent years.
"During the last two years, we experienced an increased number of vehicle break-ins," Li said. "With this grant money, it helps us tremendously to make our parking lot brighter and safer."
Trustin Parkson, owner and operator of Bbear Cafe, described the toll crime has taken on his business.
"Once we got broken into at like 2 a.m.," Parkson said. "It's been really hard. After the incident, all our employees quit because they're thinking it's not safe."
The grant program requires a partial match from recipients, making it a partnership between businesses and the county. Business owners say the funding will allow them to make safety improvements they could not have afforded on their own.
WATCH | Channel 13 talked with county commissioner Justin Jones earlier this year about the interest they had seen in the grant program:
Of the 38 applications submitted, 26 were approved. Officials said some applications were combined — for example, to encompass an entire plaza — to maximize the impact of the dollars.
You can see which businesses received grant funding in the document below:
Chinatown Improvement Grant Review
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