It is no surprise that County Executive Tom Gordon’s economic development strategy has come under scrutiny.
First off, any economic strategy is better than none at all. It wasn’t always that way.
Gordon, at one point, told me in an interview back in the 90s that there was simply too much development in the county, quickly adding that he was not anti-business.
Gordon, at one point, told me in a quick interview back in the 90s that there was simply too much development in the county. He quickly added that he was not anti-business.
Gordon was partly right. Existing communities were being neglected while developers had free-rein to put up look-alike developments and shopping centers.
One former planning director threw up his hands at an approved project in the Bear-Christiana area that featured massive townhouses with no visual appeal whatsoever.
We ended up with was the Unified Development Code, a massive document that contained admirable planning concepts, but also accelerated poorly configured projects already in the pipeline
The UDC also shifted development to Smyrna, Cecil County and Middletown that had had fewer restrictions. The result was more suburban sprawl.
As projects in the pipeline were completed, we began to see more innovative efforts that allowed more landscaping and even apartments. Still, the various provisions of the UDC led many developers to do the minimum allowed under its provisions.
Toward the end of his second term, Gordon realized that the county did need a strategy and helped form a modestly funded economic development council.
Gordon rode into his third term in opposition to Barley Mill, the former DuPont complex that the Stoltz real estate interests wanted to make into a predominately retail project.
After a favorable court ruling, the county prevailed, and Stoltz retreated, selling its Greenville retail interests to Pettinaro. It held on to Barley Mill, which may turn into a hodge-podge of projects.
Even with that victory, Gordon still faced the reality of the loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs among the union supporters who had long been part of his voting base.
Gordon revived a moribund economic development effort in the county and looked at purchasing the former GM Boxwood plant, and expanding or perhaps moving the Port of Wilmington to a site in the New Castle area.
He also pushed for a penny stock exchange in Wilmington that had been championed by his former Chief Administrative Officer David Grimaldi. Grimaldi was fired in a bitter dispute that is likely to make its way to court.
Gordon’s economic efforts were attacked in a recent debate by primary opponent Matt Meyer. Meyer is correct in questioning whether there is any substance behind Gordon’s economic development strategy.
After all, the stock exchange still has no online or marketing presence, even though it will operate in the digital world. The viability of a new or expanded port remains a mystery, although a county-commissioned study will provide more answers.
As mentioned earlier, having a murky economic development strategy is better than having nothing at all. Then again, more details are needed.
