Dagsboro Applies for Down Town Development District Designation
Date Posted: Friday, April 5th, 2019
The Town of Dagsboro is in the process of applying to be considered for designation as a Downtown Development District Community. The Town developed a Downtown Development Plan in 2015 however was not designated at that Time. The State has announced that the program will be expanded to include additional communities and Dagsboro is actively working on the 2019 application to be accepted into the program.
Governor Carney announced the expansion of the Downtown Development Districts Program earlier this year. Local governments that are interested in participating in this urban revitalization program are invited to create District Plans and complete the application in order to be considered to have a District designated in their communities.
Healthy and vibrant downtowns are critical components of Delaware’s economic well-being and quality of life. The Downtown Development Districts (DDD) Act of 2014 was enacted by the General Assembly to leverage the resources of state government in a limited number of designated areas in Delaware’s cities, towns, and unincorporated areas in a multifaceted effort to:
- Spur private capital investment in commercial business districts and other neighborhoods;
- Stimulate job growth and improve the commercial vitality of such districts and neighborhoods;
- Help build a stable community of long term residents by improving housing opportunities; and
- Assist municipalities in strengthening neighborhoods while harnessing the attraction that vibrant downtowns hold for talented people, innovative small businesses and residents from all walks of life.
In January 2015, the downtown areas of Seaford, Dover, and Wilmington were designated as Delaware’s first three DDDs. In August 2016, five new Districts were announced. Smyrna, Milford, Harrington, Georgetown, and Laurel created Districts and local incentives.
Dagsboro is actively seeking potential development projects in Town that may benefit from the program especially the DDD rebate Program that may assist with construction costs for new businesses in Dagsboro!
The DDD Rebate Program is administered by the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) in collaboration with the Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC). The DDD Rebate Program awards rebates to Qualified District Investors who make Qualified Real Property Investments (QRPI) within the boundaries of a designated Downtown Development District (DDD) and in conformance with the district plan. To ensure a variety of projects, DSHA established two funding set-asides for DDD Rebate awards—large and small projects.
Should you be interested in learning more about the program or have a parcel or project in Dagsboro ready for development or an existing business that might be ready to expand please contact Cynthia Brought, Town Administrator, at 302-732-3777 to discuss the possibilities! The deadline for the Town’s application is May 15, 2019 and we would love to identify your project as a possible project!
If you’d like to read more about the Downtown Development District, please visit https://stateplanning.delaware.gov/about/ddd.shtml.
