City of Tuscaloosa creates interactive map of rebuilding businesses

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama 

An interactive map aims to track recovery of commercial structures and businesses damaged and destroyed in the  April 27 tornado.

Meredith Lynch, Tuscaloosa Incident Command public relations coordinator, said the current map, available on the Tuscaloosa Forward website, is only a start to an ongoing process of listing commercial properties in affected areas that are being repaired or rebuilt.

"We just really wanted to celebrate the businesses that are coming back," she said.

Lynch said the map will be updated regularly as businesses continue to receive permits. So far, 184 repair and building permits have been issued for commercial properties in affected areas.

The city also has been using social media to congratulate businesses that have reopened or begun the process of rebuilding. A gallery of photos of recovering businesses have been posted in a Facebook album, which will be updated detailing the progress at those sites.

On the interactive map, blue markers indicate businesses that have had a repair permit issued and green markers indicate businesses that have been issued a land development permit.