Some Minneapolis small business owners are getting a helping hand from the city.
Mayor Jacob Frey and other leaders presented millions of dollars worth of grants from the Ownership and Opportunity Fund to four recipients on Thursday.
Developer Jesse Ross is one of them. He received $700,000 dollars to help purchase an industrial-commercial building in North Minneapolis.
Ross says it's important for him to stay in his neighborhood and help it grow.
"You have a property owner that owns a small business, and who also has built a small business to be successful, so that hopefully there's an opportunity to want to help other small business owners as well," says Ross.
Since the program began three years ago, 22 business owners have been awarded funding to help them purchase commercial real estate.
The fund aims to bridge funding gaps for commercial development projects in economically-challenged areas of Minneapolis.
Frey has been touting Minneapolis' small businesses during the holiday season saying the city has a lot to offer beyond traditional, big-box stores.