Governor Matt Meyer expanded the Downtown Development District program from 12 to 15, opening the application process for additional towns to reap the benefits of the DDD. As of now, Ellendale, Milton and Newark have expressed interest in applying for the designation. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2026.
In New Castle County, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware City and Middletown have the designation while in Kent County, Dover, Harrington, Milford, Smyrna and Clayton have a DDD. In Sussex County, Seaford, Georgetown and Laurel currently have a Downtown Development District.
Created in 2014, the DDD offers 20 percent rebates and other targeted incentives for projects located within the district. Since it began, more than $47 million in state funds have leveraged $693 million in private investment. This means for every dollar invested by the state, there was a $14.3 million return on that investment.
In order to apply for the designation, a town must have attended a pre-application meeting in February with state planning officials. Each town must identify the boundaries of the proposed district and create local government incentives, such as property tax abatements, permit fee waivers or grants, designed to complement rebates offered by the state. The incentives are designed to encourage real estate investment. The town must also provide details on how it will administer the program, including staff time, municipal funds and in-kind support…