The Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund (TIIF) Council, an initiative announced by Governor John Carney in 2019, has made its first recommendations for project funding to Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan and Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock.

The council has recommended eight projects receive a total of $8.8 million in grant funds that will go toward infrastructure investments providing a public benefit and assist in the creation or relocation of more than 1,300 jobs in the state.

“We greatly appreciate the council’s work in reviewing the merits of each applicant and look forward to reviewing their recommendations,” said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan.

“The TIIF is a unique opportunity to offset infrastructure costs that may have prohibited these companies from expanding here in Delaware and is another tool now available to us to support our business community,” said Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock.

State Representative and council member Bill Bush added, “As chair of the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce committee, I continue to advocate for helping businesses grow across our state and I am very pleased with the process we’ve created with TIIF to do just that.”

“The grants provided by TIIF will create a real public benefit and an immediate impact on businesses that are eager to expand and add good jobs in Delaware,” commented Joe Westcott, market president for Capital One and chair of the TIIF Council.

The recommendations put forth by the council are:

TIIF was established to provide economic assistance for renovation, construction, or any other type of improvements to roads and related transportation infrastructure in order to attract new businesses or expand existing businesses in this Delaware, when such an economic development opportunity would create a significant number of direct, permanent, quality full-time jobs.

The members of the TIIF Council appointed by Governor Carney are Rob Book, Martin Nunlee, Cornelia Johnson, Mona Parikh, John Riley, Bill Strickland, and Joe Westcott, who serves as chair. Representative Bill Bush and Senator David Sokola were appointed by their respective chambers to represent the General Assembly on the council.

More information on TIIF can be found at de.gov/TIIF.

DOVER – Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) is accepting applications through June 1 for large project rebate reservations through the Downtown Development Districts (DDD) program. Investors who make qualified real property investments in one of 12 designated districts can apply for a rebate of up to 20 percent of eligible costs. The designated districts are: Clayton, Delaware City, Dover, Georgetown, Harrington, Laurel, Middletown, Milford, the City of New Castle, Seaford, Smyrna and Wilmington.

“Community development is central to DSHA’s mission, and we are pleased to be able to offer this funding to support continued economic growth in our downtowns,” said DSHA Director Anas Ben Addi. “We know many businesses and homeowners across our state are grappling with the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, and we want to remind them that the DDD program can be a valuable resource during this time. Funding is available for restaurants working on renovations, a property owner looking to upgrade office space or the homeowner undergoing an extensive residential rehab project.”

The application period is for large property construction or redevelopment project investments of more than $350,000. Applications for small projects – an investment between $25,000 and $350,000 – are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year based on available funding. During this funding round, $7 million is available for large projects while $2 million is available for small projects.

Investments eligible for DDD rebate funds include capital investments on rehabilitation, expansion or new construction for commercial, industrial, residential or mixed-use buildings within the district boundaries. Rebates are issued after the project is completed. Qualified applicants include property owners, tenants, for-profit developers, nonprofit organizations, businesses and homeowners.

Established in May 2014, the DDD program was created to spur private capital investment in commercial business districts and other neighborhoods; stimulate job growth and improve the commercial vitality of our cities and towns; and help build a stable community of long-term residents in our downtowns and other neighborhoods.

Since the first reservation awards in April 2015, the DDD program has been a catalyst for private investment in Delaware’s downtowns, with $36 million in rebates through the program leveraging $582 million in private investment in designated downtown districts in all three counties.

Applications for large-project rebate funding must be received by DSHA by 4 p.m. on June 1. Additional information and application materials are available at www.destatehousing.com/ddd or can be obtained by calling DSHA at 888-363-8808.

Event featured World Trade Center Delaware and the Port of Wilmington

State Treasurer Colleen C. Davis visited the NASDAQ Stock Exchange on Monday with World Trade Center Delaware and the Port of Wilmington. The Treasurer and Delawareans attended the iconic Closing Bell ceremony at the Exchange, which celebrated Delaware’s significant contributions to the global economy.

“Delaware’s unique economic environment was on display to an international audience at the stock exchange on Monday,” said Treasurer Davis. “The collaboration between various industries, nonprofits, and governments makes our business atmosphere one-of-a-kind, and is one of the reasons that most companies are incorporated in our state.”

The Treasurer was interviewed by Nasdaq Inc. Director of Global Accounts, Rob Phillips, along with Carla Sydney Stone, President of World Trade Center Delaware, and Dave Harriss, Commercial VP of GT USA Wilmington, the operator of the Port of Wilmington.

Event participants traveled to New York City to meet with private equity investors and international companies with interest in trade, ports, and logistics, as well as attend the closing bell ceremony.

Public events scheduled in all three counties to discuss Delaware’s economy, economic development

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) announced community conversations on economic development efforts scheduled in all three counties. Governor Carney, co-chair of the DPP, will join DPP President, W. Kurt Foreman, as well as DPP staff and board members, to provide an update on the public-private partnership that leads economic development for the state.

The Delaware Prosperity Partnership is responsible for attracting, growing and retaining businesses; building a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and supporting private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent in the state of Delaware. The state jointly funds the partnership’s operations with private business.

Governor Carney worked closely with members of the General Assembly to approve the concept and funding for the public-private entity. In August 2017, Governor Carney signed House Bill 226, creating the Delaware Prosperity Partnership and the Division of Small Business within the Delaware Department of State.

Governor Carney signed Executive Order #1 on his first full day in office to create the Economic Development Working Group to explore a new economic development strategy. Governor Carney’s economic development plan was built on recommendations from the Economic Development Working Group. Strategically partnering with the private sector on economic growth was a key recommendation of the Governor’s Action Plan for Delaware.

DPP Community Conversations on Economic Development

Each event is open to members of the public and press.

Tuesday, February 19 – GEORGETOWN

Wednesday, March 20 – DOVER

Tuesday, April 2 – WILMINGTON

New tool to attract private investments in economically-distressed areas

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Thursday a new interactive website highlighting Delaware’s Opportunity Zones across the state. Opportunity Zones are an economic development tool designed to attract private investment and create economic opportunity in economically-distressed communities across Delaware.

In April 2018, Governor Carney announced 25 census tracts as Opportunity Zones in which communities and economically-distressed properties across Delaware could see additional private sector investment. These Opportunity Zones were designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Private investments in Opportunity Zones may qualify for tax incentives.

“Strengthening neighborhoods and communities across Delaware helps improve our economy, stabilize families, and make our state an even better place to live, work and visit,” said Governor Carney. “This Opportunity Zones resource highlights the options in Delaware for additional private investment in areas where it can have the most impact – in economically-distressed communities.”

The interactive website also features a visual StoryMap for visitors to explore Delaware’s Opportunity Zones and learn more about project sites. The website was developed in collaboration with the Office of the Governor, the Delaware Division of Small Business, the Office of State Planning Coordination, the Government Information Center, and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.

“Opportunity Zones are going to help expand the amount of available capital for developers and businesses, providing them with the resources they need to be successful,” said Damian DeStefano, Director of the Division of Small Business. “We look forward to helping entrepreneurs access Opportunity Zones, especially as a way to help strengthen the state’s downtowns.”

Delaware’s Opportunity Zone tracts include neighborhoods in Wilmington; properties along the Route 9 Corridor in New Castle; areas in Dover, Milford, Georgetown, and Seaford, including the Seaford Nylon Capital Shopping Center; the STAR campus in Newark; and aging industrial sites along the Delaware River in northern New Castle County that are eligible for additional development and cleanup under the Coastal Zone Act.

“Delaware features a tremendous range of Opportunity Zones statewide. These designated areas provide truly attractive investment opportunities that both can benefit investors and build or enhance more vibrant communities,” explained Delaware Prosperity Partnership President Kurt Foreman.

Many of the designated Opportunity Zone tracts are located within Downtown Development Districts, where investors may already qualify for state investment rebates, local tax abatements, affordable bridge loans, and other state and local incentives. Since the downtown program launched in 2015, roughly $24 million in state-funded investment rebates has leveraged $420 million of additional public and private investment in Dover, Georgetown, Harrington, Laurel, Milford, Seaford, Smyrna and Wilmington. Governor Carney’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget included an additional $8.5 million for the program.

The new website also will serve as a resource for the upcoming Opportunity Zone Summit on December 5 at the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus. The Summit, hosted in partnership with the Biden Institute and the Office of the Governor, will engage government officials, developers, investors and business leaders in discussions about Delaware’s Opportunity Zones.

Attendees can register for the summit by clicking here.

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