The Hinesville Downtown Development Authority is offering a new loan program called the Discover Downtown Hinesville Revolving Loan Fund (DDHRLF). The program was designed to provide flexible and expedient gap funding between $20K-$50K to new or expanding small businesses to purchase land or buildings within the HDDA boundaries; and make them move-in ready. Preference will be given to projects that provide permanent employment and/or prevent or eliminate slum or blight, maximize vacant downtown spaces, and/or interject cultural experiences in downtown. The HDDA functions as the Economic Restructuring Committee of the Hinesville Downtown/Main Street Program.
The DDHRLF can assist small service, commercial and retail businesses in the Hinesville downtown development district by providing gap financing. According to documents provided by the HDDA provisions of assistance to private, for-profit entities must be contingent upon firm commitments of financial participation from other sources such as private financial institutions or the private entity themselves. This financial assistance must meet the overall program objectives and must result in the creation or retention of permanent jobs within Hinesville’s downtown development district to mitigate unemployment.
ELIGIBILITY
The Discover Downtown Hinesville Revolving Loan Fund for the Hinesville DDA is limited to businesses located or created within Hinesville’s downtown development district.
Funds may be used for start-up capital costs including:
Real estate acquisition, development, redevelopment and new construction
Rehabilitation of public and private infrastructure and facilities
Eligible capital expenditures (equipment)
In order to qualify for this program, a business must generally have a net worth of less than six million dollars ($6 million) and a net profit after taxes of less than two million dollars ($2 million) annually.
According to DDHRLF policy highest consideration will be given to businesses that demonstrate they will create and/or retain the highest number of permanent jobs for the least amount of public expenditure
TERMS
The HDDA RLF requests must be at least $20,000, but not more than $50,000.
A person may only have one active Revolving Loan Fund application of up to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) at a time.
The business will be required to obtain at least fifty percent of project costs from a private lender, private equity or self-funding. The DDHRLF may be used in combination with other loans, grants or incentive programs.
The loan payback time will traditionally be 5 – 15 years, but cannot extend beyond the life of the asset. There is no penalty for early payback.
The interest rate will be one half of the prime rate according to the Wall Street Journal, but between 1 percent and 5 percent.
INELIGIBLE ACTIVITES
Ineligible activities include, but are not limited to:
1. Funding of a job that would cost more than $50,000 in RLF funds per job
2. Reimbursement of project costs prior to submission of RLF application
3. Refinancing of permanent debt (a business’ use of interim financing is allowed)
4. Payment of delinquent taxes or debt
5. Research & development costs for product creation
6. Engagement of Political activities
7. Reimbursement of operating costs
FEES
An application fee of $50 is due with application submission. Upon loan approval, a second fee of $100 must be received in order for a commitment letter to be issued.
For additional information, please contact the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority at (912) 877-4332, or Michelle Ricketson, HDDA executive director at mricketson@hinesvilledowntown.com.
You can download the application requirements and loan policy online at: http://coastalcourier.com/