Sussex County is doing its part to aid downtowns in the county.
At Tuesday, Nov. 1, meeting, the County Council agreed to set up a matching local incentive program that will complement Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts initiative, which provides rebates of up to 20 percent of construction costs for qualifying residential, commercial and industrial redevelopment projects in designated districts throughout the state.
So far, eight communities have been awarded designations, including Georgetown, Laurel, Milford and Seaford in Sussex County.
The popular program’s aim is to redevelop Delaware’s commercial business districts by driving private investment into the hearts of towns and cities, some of which have seen their town/city centers fade in recent decades as new development shifted elsewhere.
Sussex County will join the effort, providing a 50 percent match, up to $10,000, to any state grant for eligible, approved projects in the designated Sussex districts. The county will set aside $100,000 in funding from realty transfer tax reserves for the grants.
“Economic development is everyone’s business: the state, the county, and the towns,” County President Vincent said. “Sussex County needs to be at the table with our partners to help leverage those private dollars that invest in our communities and make them stronger.”