ATLANTA, Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today the opening of a Business Recovery Center in New York.  Businesses affected by Hurricane Irene that occurred between Aug. 26 and Sept. 5 should come to the Center to apply for disaster assistance.  

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The Center will open Monday, Oct. 3 at 8 a.m. in the Windham Chamber of Commerce, IA Financial Building, 5419 Main Street, Windham, NY 12496. The Center hours of operations are Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., until further notice.

SBA's representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center to issue loan applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the application process and assist business owners in completing their applications.  

Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private non-profit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.  Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

To obtain additional assistance call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955
(800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET or send an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.   Those affected by this disaster may fill out a loan application online by visiting SBA's website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is October 31, 2011.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 31, 2012.      

For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov.

Contact:  Mark Ihenacho
Phone:  404-331-0333

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration