$5.5 million in funding for 15 projects to leverage $173.6 million in private investment

Dover, Del. – May 27, 2025 – The Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) announced today that it has awarded $5.5 million in funding reservations to 15 large downtown revitalization projects in Dover, Laurel, Georgetown and Wilmington through Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts (DDD) program.

Among the projects receiving investments are Villa Maria at Brandywine, The Old Post, Laurel Redevelopment Corporation, and Orange Street Lot, LLC.

“Across Delaware, Downtown Development Districts are critical to creating vibrant, walkable neighborhoods where both families and small businesses can thrive,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “We’re doubling down on those efforts with more investment, faster permitting, and making sure that affordable housing is part of every conversation about sustainable growth.”

The DDD Large Project Reservation Application process is a competitive one, with applications awarded based on criteria and priority as outlined in the program guidelines. The reservation is a guarantee of funding availability only, and the final rebate will be determined at the completion of the investment project and submission of the final rebate application.

The project investors and the reservation awards are:

• Villa Maria @ Brandywine: $1,520,000
• The Old Post: $800,000
• Laurel Redevelopment Corp: $660,000
• Orange Street Lot, LLC: $619,999
• Bahar Opportunity Zone: $580,000
• 600 MKT DCAD: $266,600
• Georgetown Apartments: $248,000
• Wilmington Hotel (former Hotel Dupont): $229,400
• Tatnall West II: $155,000
• Mt. Zion (African Methodist Episcopal Church): $123,287
• Inter-Neighborhood Comm Builders: $84,455
• 4BL: $64,170
• Z West: $62,372
• Michael Waters: $52,332
• Tatnall West II: $34,387

“This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Downtown Development District program, and the 427 residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects completed since 2015 are a testament to the program’s resounding success,” said DSHA Director Matthew Heckles. “It shows that through strategic investments and public-private partnerships, we can create new homes and new businesses, leading to more jobs, historic preservation, and revitalized communities in Delaware’s towns and cities. Investing in our downtowns means investing in our residents. I’m proud of the impact the DDDs have had and am thankful for the state appropriations and private investments that have made this possible.”

Created by the General Assembly in 2014, the goal of the DDD program was 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.

The program is simple. Qualified investors – including small business owners, developers, and homeowners – with eligible planned or completed property investments in one of the 12 designated districts receive a 20% rebate on exterior, interior, and structural improvements.

The 12 DDD districts are Dover, Wilmington, Seaford, Georgetown, Harrington, Laurel, Milford, Smyrna, City of New Castle, Clayton, Delaware City, and Middletown.

Between fiscal years 2014 and 2024, $39.2 million in DDD rebates leveraged $574.7 million in private investment. Funding for large projects — those that cost more than $350,000 – require investors to apply each year by a certain deadline, which, for FY2025, was Feb. 26, 2025. Reservation applications for small projects – which cost between $25,000 and $350,000 – are accepted on a rolling basis, subject to funding availability. The FY2025 small-project set-aside rebate program is now closed.

For more information on the DDD Rebate program, please visit https://www.destatehousing.com/build/ddd-program/.