Businesses hurt by light-rail construction borrow $2M
Nearly 150 bars, restaurants and a variety of other businesses have borrowed more than $2 million from a "forgivable" loan fund as they try to stay afloat during disruptive construction of the 11-mile Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line, the Pioneer Press reports. The line will connect the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul by 2014.
The project is 74 percent complete, according to its website.
The first light rail line car arrived a few weeks ago, the Star Tribune reported. The cars are sleeker, quieter and warmer, MinnPost says.