New Downtown Development District grant funding announced in Milford

Photo: Mark Fowser)

By Mark Fowser
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 – 3:21pm

State and local officials gathered at a former bank building in Milford which is being converted into a restaurant to detail more grant funding through Delaware’s Downtown Development District program.New development is coming to several Delaware downtowns through a new round of grant funding from the state’s Downtown Development Program.

Governor Markell and Delaware State Housing Authority Director Anas Ben Addi made the announcement Tuesday in Milford in a former bank building which is being converted into a restaurant.

The bar area will be located in the bank’s vault.

“What this program will do is preserve our history here, but it will also look forward to the future of how we can re-imagine our downtown area,” Milford Mayor Bryan Shupe said.

Projects in Harrington, Dover, Smyrna and Wilmington will also get a share of the grant program, which is designed to leverage millions more in private investment.

“The DDD program has been a central part of our efforts to revitalize Delaware’s downtown business

districts and drive private investment in our towns and cities. In just two years, the DDD program has

leveraged dramatic private investment in a wide variety of projects.” Governor Markell said. “Encouraging private investment that also revitalizes our downtown business districts and surrounding neighborhoods is the goal of the DDD program, and we’re thrilled that it has been so successful.”