Lani Schweiger
The Downtown Wilmington App

Downtown Visions released the Downtown Wilmington App, a one stop shop for all the happenings in Downtown Wilmington, DE.

The Downtown Wilmington App
Lani Schweiger
Community Highlight: Christina Cultural Arts ...

In this month’s blog, we are highlighting the Christina Cultural Arts Center Inc. Executive Director, James “Ray” Rhodes discusses the history of the Christina Cultural Arts Center and its importance to our community.

Community Highlight: Christina Cultural Arts Center

business grants wilmington de

Generous Donations Help Fund Main Street Wilmington Program

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Downtown Visions was recently awarded grants from Comenity Bank, Bank of America, and M&T Bank to support the efforts of the nonprofit’s Main Street Wilmington program. Without this generous support from our donors, Downtown Visions would not be able to run the programs, events, and initiatives for the Downtown community.

From its inception, Downtown Visions’ mission has been to help ignite business creation, enhance service delivery of businesses within the Downtown Wilmington Business Improvement District (BID), and ensure the BID is aesthetically pleasing, clean, and safe at all times.

These grants will be used to support DTV’s Main Street Wilmington Program, which provides the following services to the Downtown BID:

  • Improve the façades and signage of businesses operating in Wilmington's Downtown BID and ensure authentic restorations of historic buildings by working with the City of Wilmington's Design Review and Preservation Commission and local historical nonprofits, such as the Delaware Historical Society, through our Facade Improvement Program.

  • Boost economic development of businesses operating in the Wilmington Downtown BID by providing marketing and event support, and event creation, such as Curbside Wilmington.

  • Continue with the visual transformation of Wilmington's Downtown BID to create a vibrant and visually pleasing shopping, dining, and living area through cleaning efforts

  • Facilitate connections between civic officials, developers, and business owners to support strong economic growth and investment in the Downtown Business Improvement District.

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Free Resources for Small Businesses

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Downtown Visions mission is to create, manage, and promote a quality environment for business development within our neighborhood by providing small business assistance through various initiatives. We strive to inform our community of the free resources available to them by a number of local and national agencies. If you have any questions on starting, or growing, your businesses in Downtown Wilmington DE, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Delaware Division of Small Business

The Delaware Division of Small Business, part of the Delaware Department of State, is a service-focused agency committed to supporting businesses starting and growing in Delaware. Small businesses can reach out to the Division for assistance in connecting to the resources and advice to succeed. The Division is a champion for Delaware small businesses and is here to help take companies to the next level.

The Division of Small Business also EDGE grants to eligible businesses to encourage development, growth, and expansion. The EDGE Grant program gives qualified small businesses in Delaware an edge by offering access to significant capital like never before. The business must have been in operation less than 5 years. This will give them access to capital up to $50,000 for the Entrepreneur Class and $100,000 for Stem based companies!

  • The deadline is Friday, February 28, 2020.

  • For more information, click here.

New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

NCCCC hosts “Open For Business” sessions on the fourth Thursday of each month from 9:30 am - 11:30 am for small business owners to meet with representatives from their partner organizations. Collectively, these organizations provide a range of services that help start-ups advance their business model, reach potential customers, land government contracts, secure loans, meet state regulatory requirements and generally mentor entrepreneurs striking out on their own for the first time.

  • Next event is Tuesday, February 25, 2020 located at 920 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE.

  • The event is free, registration is suggested. To register, click here.

Downtown Merchant Meetings

Downtown Visions also hosts Downtown Merchant Meetings one Tuesday a month for business owners within the Central Business District share ideas and connect with each other.

  • The next Merchant Meeting is at 9:30 am on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at Stitch House Brewery.

America Express Future of Shopping Small Grant Program

American Express® is teaming up with Main Street America to give 10 small business owners $10,000 each to help their businesses innovate in this evolving retail landscape. The American Express Future of Shopping Small Grant Program will celebrate small businesses across the country that are a vital part of their community. The program is intended to support small businesses that have demonstrated new approaches to traditional business strategies and those businesses looking to try out creative techniques, while also helping to revitalize and strengthen older and historic commercial districts.

  • The deadline is Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

  • For more information, click here.

  • To see if your businesses is location within one of Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts (DDD), click here.

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Making Business Dreams a Reality - Downtown Visions Teams up with Comenity Bank to Support Stitch House and Margaux

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Downtown Visions and Stitch House

Downtown Visions’ Façade Improvement Program is not only making our city a more beautiful place, it is also creating jobs and making business dreams a reality. Two of Wilmington's most recent popular dining scene additions received support through generous donations from Comenity Bank to the Façade Improvement Program.

Stitch House Brewery Economic Impact:

  • Downtown Visions’ Interior Fit-Out Grant helped to bring the  very first Micro Brewery to Downtown Wilmington
  •  The Downtown Visions Façade Improvement Program along with a generous donation from Comenity Bank offset a total interior construction cost of $788,693.79 with a $12,500 contribution.
  • Added 170 indoor and 16 outdoor seasonal seats to the Downtown Community
  • This project brought 31 new jobs to Downtown Wilmington
  • Stitch House brings even more action to the Market Street corridor with hours 7 days a week (open until 1 AM Monday-Saturday)
Margaux Wilmington DE

Margaux Economic Impact:

  • The opening of Margaux at 902 N Market St. created 22 new downtown jobs and opportunities
  • The Downtown Visions Façade Improvement Program along with a generous donation from Comenity Bank offset a total construction cost of $370,000 with a $12,500 Interior Fit-Out Grant
  • Added 74 new dining chairs to a destination restaurant in the heart of the Downtown area

Could your next big business idea use support from Downtown Visions, or would you like to support this impactful cause? Contact us to learn more.