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Second Small Business Center Opens On Staten Island

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Small businesses on Staten Island now have a second location to seek superstorm Sandy-related help and address their storm-related issues.

At the peak of the flooding, Diana Petrone had nine feet of water in her store. Not Just Bagels was completely destroyed but reopened five months ago.

Petrone said she's still looking for answers.

"With the grants that are attached to the loans: can we just repay back the loans right away and keep the grants? And those are the questions that to me, as a small business owner and I'm sure to other small business owners, are key right now," she told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.

Second Small Business Center Opens On Staten Island

The New Dorp Small Business Development Center opened Monday to help small business owners who couldn't take the time commuting to the other center across the island.

"It's a half a day process and small business owners do not have that time," Petrone told Haskell. "And through this location being here, it'll be a lot more accessible to get the information out to the businesses."

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) said the second location was just approved.

"I think it was a matter of getting the funding to flow," he told Haskell.

The new center will help businesses navigate the system.

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