SAN ANTONIO — Bars, nightclubs and beer gardens are among 21 San Antonio businesses set to receive a cut of more than $122,000 from the city to limit noise pollution that might be keeping neighbors up at night.
The money comes from the city's budget-approved general fund, and marks the first distribution of funds through San Antonio's Noise Mitigation Grants Program, an initiative started to help those businesses better insulate the noise of DJs, musicians and late-night partiers.
Twenty-one businesses in all are receiving grants – most of them residing in the noisy downtown or St. Mary's Strip areas of town – out of 26 applicants, which had to be a food and beverage business which received less than $9 million in gross revenue in 2022. They also must not have had outstanding code violations upon submitting their applications, the process for which took place this spring.
"The funding allocated through this grant programs helps business owners better serve their customers and mitigates noise pollution that may otherwise impact their residential neighbors," City Manager Erik Walsh is quoted as saying in a release.
The average grant cost came out to $6,435, according to the release, with nearly half of the grant awardees receiving the max amount of $7,500. The money is meant to go towards infrastructure improvements like sound-absorbing panels, acoustic doors and windows, directional speakers and efforts to enclose outdoor entertainment areas where patrons might be enjoying music with their cocktails.
The final fund amount is expected to be higher than the $122,262 already awarded by the city once two more businesses reach the finish line with their paperwork. The 19 announced awardees include:
- Man Overboard Brewing Company: $7,500
- Bentley's Beer Garden: $7,500
- Brass Monkey: $6,000
- Commonwealth Coffee: $6,413.79
- The Lighthouse Lounge: $6,150
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