WRDE
Posted: Jan 10, 2017 4:41 PM
By A.J.Clemente
Mayor Bryan Shupe along with Governor Jack Markell announced the recipients of the Delaware Downtown Development District Grant at the old M&T bank on Front Street. Soon to be Touch of Italy received one of the grants
The grant will allow the restaurant to receive up to 20 percent of their investments back after construction.
Co-owner Joseph Curzi says “This projects is the first time we’ve worked with a program like this and it has been a great experience. We’re thrilled to be expanding to Milford, putting this historic building back into active use at the heart of downtown.”
Funding for sixteen projects in Harrington, Milford, Dover, Smyrna and Wilmington were announced today as well. The director of Delaware housing project Anas Ben Addi thanks Touch of Italy for having confidence in Milford. He adds, “If it wasn’t for your vision, for your interest in downtown, for your risk that you are taking, We would not be here. ”
Mayor Shupe thinks Milford is on the rise thanks to the program. Shupe says, “We see more enterprise down here and it has been an amazing couple of years in downtown Milford and it is just going to keep on expanding.”
With the help of the “DDD” grant the new Touch of Italy will be opening in April and other business are welcoming them with opened arms because that could mean more money.
The owner Roger Shade of the Barbar shop “Nice and Fresh” says, “I think that is a good thing. I am actually willing to give all the employees that work there discounts, if they don’t mind coming in. So I definitely think it is a good thing.”
Other buildings like the historic Pikus building also received some of the grant money.