What are Downtown Development Districts (DDDs)?
Healthy and vibrant downtowns are critical components of Delaware’s economic well-being and quality of life. To help Delaware downtowns and neighborhoods become vibrant and healthy places, “Downtown Development Districts” were authorized by the Delaware General Assembly 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.
Why were DDDs created?
Downtown Development Districts, authorized by Senate Bill 191 on June 5, 2014, establish economic development incentives that promote revitalization of Delaware’s downtowns. Then-governor Jack Markell stated “Downtown Development Districts will spur private capital investment in commercial business districts, stimulate job growth, help build a stable community of long term residents by improving housing opportunities; and strengthen our neighborhoods. By spurring economic activity in our downtowns, Delaware will attract more talented people, innovative small businesses and residents from all walks of life. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.”
Visual resources
Adobe Spark Page on Downtown Development Districts
The Downtown Development District Spark Page highlights incentives offered by each of Delaware’s twelve DDD communities.
GIS StoryMap on Downtown Development Districts
The Investments in Downtown Development Districts (DDDs) GIS story map highlights developer investments for both large and small project set-asides in each DDD community. In addition, the map identifies the type of project in terms of commercial, residential, and/or mixed-use development. This story map includes twelve individual story maps, one for each of Delaware’s designated DDDs, which may be viewed in the “Implementing Complete Communities in Delaware” GIS Story Map Gallery.
Videos on Downtown Development Districts
The Delaware Downtown Development Districts video series, on the Complete Communities YouTube channel, highlights investment successes, local incentives for investors, and program benefits for DDD jurisdictions as of 2020.
Next to Applying for a DDD Designation