Here’s the news release from Metro:

Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti, along with Metro Board members Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts today toured Metro’s recently opened Business Solution Center to help businesses impacted by construction of the Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line between 48^th and 60^th streets.

“The Crenshaw line is a tremendous investment in our infrastructure to cut traffic, stimulate the economy, and finally connect rail to L.A.X. This center is about making sure businesses get the support they need while Metro makes the infrastructure investments Angelinos deserve,” said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Created by the Metro Board, the new Business Solution Center at 3450 Mount Vernon Drive, near Crenshaw Boulevard, is a pilot program to assist businesses by providing free support services to business owners including business development and financial referrals. The Business Solution Center also has a new web page: www.metrobsc.net/crenshaw

“The Crenshaw/LAX line will bring much economic growth and opportunity in the local community once it is completed,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “However, we need to ensure that the businesses affected by the construction have the help they need to weather the storm. While construction is ongoing, Metro’s pilot Business Solution Center will be a great resource for merchants, so they can receive expert advice and technical assistance.”

The Business Solution Center is part of an unprecedented effort by Metro to help impacted businesses during construction of the light-rail lines including Crenshaw/LAX, the Regional Connector and the Purple Line Extension. Del Richards & Associates, Inc. is administrating the Business Solution Center.

“Metro remains committed to promoting businesses impacted by rail construction and the opening of the Business Solution Center is a step forward in the right direction,” said Metro Board member Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker. “I am proud to have been a part of creating this Business Solution Center which is a cutting edge solution in the county that will offer expert business advice, technical assistance and financial referrals to merchants along the Crenshaw corridor during construction of the new light-rail line.”

Small businesses that are near but not within the 48th to 60th street area along the Crenshaw/LAX corridor will also have access to the Business Solution Center for business and technical assistance, including case management referrals to business development partners.

The Business Solution Center is located within the Los Angeles Urban League facility. A satellite office also will be established at 510 S. La Brea Avenue, Inglewood. Operating hours for the main office are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Metro has also initiated a promotional campaign Eat, Shop, Play Crenshaw that encourages residents to pledge to shop locally and win cash prizes of up to $1,000. Metro is also promoting business through its “Open for Business” video series, featuring businesses along the rail alignment.

In addition, Metro is to launch the Business Interruption Fund: a separate program that will provide financial assistance to impacted businesses along the alignments of three transit rail construction corridor: Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project, Little Tokyo area of the Regional Connector and section 1 of the Purple Line Extension.

The 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX Line is a $2.058 billion light-rail line that will connect the Green Line and the Expo Line. It will have eight new stations to serve the Crenshaw, Inglewood and LAX communities. It is expected to open in 2019.

For more information on the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project go to metro.net/Crenshaw or join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CrenshawRail and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/crenshawrail or call the project hotline (213) 922-2736.