Last Wednesday, the U. S. Small Business Administration announced that the Business Recovery Center currently located at the Harry Roberts Community House, 300 E. 16th Ave. in Gulf Shores was moving to the City of Orange Beach Medical Arts Building at 4223 Orange Beach Blvd., Suite B, on Monday.

The new Center location hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until further notice.

According to Frank Skaggs, the SBA’s Disaster Field Operation Center director in Atlanta, the move will help better serve individuals who’s businesses have been adversely affected by the oil spill.

‘Economic losses’

Due to the amount of economic losses caused by the Deepwater BP Oil Spill in Alabama, we want affected businesses to have a resource where they can meet individually with SBA representatives and find out how a low-interest disaster loan can help them recover.

Although the location on 16th Avenue will be closing, representatives will still be available in Gulf Shores at the Business Support Center on the campus of Faulkner State Community College, 3301 Gulf Shores Parkway, room 119.

In addition, the SBA is also offering the option of filing your disaster home and business loan application electronically. Disaster victims may use the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) to apply for assistance related to damages to their home, personal property and vehicles, and businesses can apply for damages to their real estate or business contents as well as for economic loss. Individuals that are homeowners and renters must register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to obtain a FEMA Registration ID Number. You can do this by calling 1-800-621-3362.

Business loan applications can be obtained at one of the Business Recovery Centers or can be downloaded from the SBA’s Website at www.sba.gov. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 14, 2011.