City Councilman Kevin de León, along with various city departments, is scheduled Monday to announce the opening of a Business Resource Center to support businesses affected by the 10 Freeway fire, which closed one of the nation’s busiest roads for more than a week.
The councilman’s office has organized a news event for Monday in collaboration with the Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District and an array of departments, to provide details on the support available to businesses impacted by the freeway closure.
A stretch of the freeway between Alameda Street and the East Los Angeles interchange, in de Leon’s 14th Council District, closed on Nov. 11 following the massive blaze beneath the roadway. Arson is suspected.
The freeway is expected to reopen in time for Monday morning’s commute — well ahead of the five-week closure time that was originally announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The opening of the resource center follows an emergency motion passed by the City Council last week that directed the Economic and Workforce Development Department to reach out to local businesses affected by the fire, the freeway closure and the associated street detours.
The department was also tasked with helping to identify local, state and federal resources to mitigate the impact.
De León spokesman Pete Brown said the resource center will be manned by city staff and departments to provide a central location for affected businesses looking for guidance in how to navigate the disruptions caused by the blaze and the freeway closure. Brown said funding for the center will come from de León’s discretionary fund.