ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) on Friday, Oct. 4, at the SPC Epicenter at St. Petersburg College, in Clearwater. The SBA is opening the Center to assist businesses and residents who were affected by Hurricanes Debby and Helene.
SBA’s Customer Service Representatives are available at the Centers to answer questions, assist business owners complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Business Recovery Center in advance. The Centers will operate as listed below.
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Sarasota County
Sarasota Christian Church
2923 Ashton Rd
Sarasota, FL 34231
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Manatee County
Rocky Bluff Library
6750 US-301
Ellenton, FL 34222
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Pinellas County
SPC Epicenter at St. Petersburg College
13805 58th Street N, Suite 1-200
Clearwater, FL 33760
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Saturday and Sunday
The declaration for Hurricane Debby covers Alachua, Baker, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee and Taylor counties which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Bradford, Charlotte, Clay, DeSoto, Duval, Hardee, Hernando, Leon, Marion, Nassau, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sumter, Union and Wakulla in Florida and Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Echols, Lowndes, Thomas and Ware in Georgia.
The declaration for Hurricane Helene covers Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla counties which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Collier, DeSoto, Gadsden, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Liberty, Marion, Polk, Sumter and Union in Florida and Brooks, Clinch, Echols, Grady, Lowndes and Thomas in Georgia.
With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.
Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
For Hurricane Debby, the filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Oct. 9, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 12, 2025.
For Hurricane Helene, the filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 27, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 30, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.