Highlights from the Downtown Development Districts Program

On June 27, Governor Jack Markell and the Delaware State Housing Authority announced  that Wilmington, Dover, and Seaford will receive $4.5 million in grant funding for 11 downtown revitalization projects at part of Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts program.

Check out this GIS Story Map, which highlights the history and success of the program thus far.

Screen shot of GIS Story Map featuring Downtown Development Districts

Benefits of Downtown Development Districts

The Downtown Development Districts Program seeks to revitalize the downtown “Central Business District” in selected city, town, and county areas through the use of economic incentives.

Downtown Development Districts aim to spur capital investments, stimulate job growth and improve commercial vitality, improve housing opportunities, and strengthen neighborhoods. The Delaware Annual Report on Downtown Development Districts is available on the Delaware State Housing Authority’s website.

Visit the Downtown Development Districts section of the toolbox to learn more about how these districts align with complete-community planning principles.

Story Map Development

This story map is produced as part of the Delaware Complete Communities Planning Toolbox with funding support from the Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability Center-Region 3 University Transportation Center.

The story map was developed by Savannah Edwards, Public Administration Fellow, University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA) under the direction of IPA Policy Scientist Marcia Scott.

Special thanks to Connie Holland (Office of State Planning Coordination, OSPC), David Edgell (OSPC), Miriam Pomilio (OSPC), and Karen Horton (Delaware State Housing Authority) for featured content and assistance.

How to Utilize Story Maps in Your Community

Visit the GIS Story Maps section of the toolbox to learn more about how you can use this tool to promote local government initiatives to support market-ready (re)development in your community.

Contact IPA’s GIS Specialist Nicole Minni, at nminni@udel.edu, to obtain information on contracting her services to develop story maps.

GIS Story Map “Reimagines” Laurel

This GIS Story Map was developed for the Town of Laurel to highlight its outstanding redevelopment potential, location for small businesses, and quality of life. The GIS Story Map offers a variety of demographic and marketing data, points of interest, marketing research, and information about infrastructure and rates.

The story map is a project of the Sussex County Economic Development Action Committee (SEDAC), funded by the University of Delaware’s Sustainable Coastal Communities program. The maps and data are easy to upgrade and link to or embed on a town’s website.  The map series was constructed by Nicole Minni, GISP, of the University of Delaware IPA and Lee Ann Walling, AICP, of Cedar Creek Sustainable Planners.

Visit the story maps section of the toolbox to learn more about how you can use this tool to promote local government initiatives to support market-ready (re)development in your community.

Contact IPA’s GIS Specialist Nicole Minni, at nminni@udel.edu, to obtain information on contracting her services to develop story maps.

2014 Downtown Development District Application Period Closed

Received 10 Applications

On November 1, 2014, 10 local governments submitted applications to be considered for designation as a Downtown Development District. Applications were received from Clayton, Dover, Middletown, Milford, Milton, New Castle County, Newark, Seaford, Smyrna and Wilmington. The Office of State Planning Coordination is managing the review of these applications for eventual consideration by the Governor.

Public Comment Period

The public comment period is open for the “Guidelines Governing the Administration and Review of Applications for Designation as DDDs”.

For more information visit the Office of State Planning Coordination’s website, http://stateplanning.delaware.gov/ddd/.