Suffolk businesses affected by tornado look for help rebuilding

SUFFOLK

Dorothy Lovell was two weeks away from opening her jerk barbecue shop when the tornado hit.

A $25,000 smoker from Dallas is still usable, but Lovell, a New York transplant and first-time business owner, lost most of what she had spent two years building and planning.

"So my loss was total and personal," she said.

Lovell and about a dozen other business owners attended a meeting Tuesday to learn what the city is doing to help them rebuild after the April 28 storm.

In all, the city counted 33 businesses that sustained tornado damage. Ten could be out of service for a year, contributing to an early estimate of $5 million in lost gross receipts, said Kevin Hughes, a senior business development manager for the city's Department of Economic Development.

The estimated commercial property damage is even higher - about $7.6 million for 18 buildings, according to city figures.

Lovell, whose Jammin' Jerk BBQ was in the devastated Freedom Plaza shopping center, put her losses at close to $300,000. She expects to get $75,000 from insurance.

On Tuesday she applied for a loan of $5,000 through Retail Alliance and the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads, and another for $25,000 through the Suffolk Economic Development Authority.

The development authority also has put aside $50,000 for facade improvement grants for damaged businesses.

Lovell plans to open at another location downtown while she waits for her original site to be ready again. She said the loans she applied for on Tuesday would help, "at least to get crawling again."

Dave Forster, (757) 222-5563, dave.forster@pilotonline.com