Thirteen small businesses in the beloved Sugar House shopping district are being forced to relocate. But Salt Lake City is committed to assisting them and preserving the unique character of such areas, Mayor Rocky Anderson said Saturday.

"Locally owned businesses contribute so much in every way: economically, in terms of social amenities, the charm, the uniqueness of our communities," Anderson said.

The city has initiatives to provide grants or low-interest loans to business owners being forced out because of impending redevelopment in the area, Anderson said. Anderson and Councilman Soren Simonson spoke with media, business owners and others during a press conference held near 1100 East and 2100 South, just north of the shops.

Anderson said he and Simonson will propose an ordinance to the City Council "in the coming months" to limit the number of chain stores — or even ban them altogether — in areas that "possess a distinctive character," such as Sugar House, the 9th-and-9th area and others.

"Nobody has ever come to any community and gone home and said, 'What a cool Starbucks they had,' or 'What a cool Barnes and Noble they had,"' Anderson said. "They go home and talk about the small businesses, the great nooks and crannies, the wonderful boutique shops, the coffee shops, the bookstores."

In December 2005, the City Council voted to change the zoning on the block to allow buildings up to seven stories. The zoning change paved the way for landowners in the area to redevelop the block, though no official plan for redevelopment has been submitted to the city, Simonson said.

Business owners started receiving eviction notices in February, and some have already relocated, including Orion's Music, which moved downtown.

Many are concerned that small businesses won't be able to afford the higher rents that will come with the available space in the block when construction is finished.

"I'm not sure we've solved that one yet," Simonson said.

The city has set aside $100,000 for a fund, which will provide matching grants of up to $15,000 to help businesses relocate elsewhere in Sugar House. Loans are also available to businesses within a half block of construction to compensate for losses due to construction.

Also, business owners can get loans of up to $100,000 from the city, with a 3 percent interest rate, to help offset costs of moving and the lost business that comes with it.

Councilwoman Jill Remington Love recently proposed an ordinance that would regulate the design and appearance of businesses in areas such as Sugar House, including their facades, to ensure they fit the image and style of the neighborhood, Anderson said.