Palm Beach County is proposing a $250,000 grant program to help businesses that lost income after a deadly Learjet crash closed Military Trail near Greenacres. The county’s proposed Military Trail Business Interruption Grant Program would use Ad Valorem funds to pay eligible businesses up to $5,000, depending on eligibility, available money and the county’s calculation of each award.
Commissioner Joel Flores said the county created the program after hundreds of calls from business owners asking when the road would reopen. Many of the affected businesses are small, family-run shops, he said, and some owners are struggling to make rent and payroll.
Businesses will apply through the county’s Housing and Economic Development Department. Funds may cover rent or mortgage payments, payroll, utilities, essential inventory and supplies, and other approved operating costs. They cannot be used for personal expenses, expansion, owner distributions, or costs already covered by insurance or other aid. Each legal business may receive only one award.
Eddie Rivera, owner of Seor Lechon, a Puerto Rican restaurant on Military Trail, said the closure has been costly for his 15 employees. He said the grant would help cover about half of his payroll.
Separately, United Way has raised more than $50,000 for Catholic Charities to help affected residents with temporary housing, rental cars and rideshare vouchers. The Emergency Assistance Foundation is also offering $1,000 grants to eligible residents through its People First Fund.
Flores said water service has been restored and Florida Power & Light is completing a final check before residents can return home, with a goal of doing so within days. Businesses could reopen soon, but there is no firm date for Military Trail to fully reopen.
