'Nail In The Coffin': Businesses Struggling From Coronavirus Now Rebuilding From Vandalism
DENVER (CBS4) - As protests turn violent, businesses are left cleaning up vandalism and destruction left behind.
"It's just horrible to see," explained Caroline Lofts, the CEO of Workability.
Workability is located off Sherman Street and 16th Avenue. It serves as a shared office space for business startups. The building, was vandalized by protesters over the weekend.
"The two floor to ceiling windows were smashed in and fallen out, chairs have been thrown out into the street," Lofts said. "They didn't take anything. It seemed very destructive and angry."
Lofts said she feels they were targeted because of their location, just blocks away from the capitol where the protests were happening. Despite the damage they faced, Workability is offering small businesses space at their building if needed, for free.
"There are other people who had damage done that there's no way they can come back from it, and it's devastating for them," she said. "And we know that we've got the space here and if anybody wants to use it we're offering that for free."
A few blocks away on Colfax Avenue, it was similar sight. Small businesses spent the day boarding up on Sunday, after people had thrown rocks at windows the night before. Some shops along the busy roadway were also looted.
"We probably got about $3,000 worth of damage," explained Greg Holle, the property manager of a building that was vandalized over the weekend.
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Holle said that he's afraid some of the businesses are already struggling enough because of COVID-19.
"This is just the nail in the coffin for them," he told CBS4. "I mean it doesn't work have anything to do with social justice. These are all minority owned businesses here - the drugstore, the market that got looted on Friday night. They're all minority people and they're just getting destroyed. Their livelihood is gone because of this."
