The Grow Delaware Fund Provides $5 Million in Support Loans to Small Businesses in Delaware!

There is a new initiative to support small businesses in Wilmington and throughout the State of Delaware! The Grow Delaware Fund – will provide $5 million to support loans to small businesses in Delaware that are seeking to strengthen their operations and grow jobs.

The new program, the Grow Delaware Fund, will offer loans from $150,000 to $4 million, subject to guidelines and loan fund availability. Loans can be used for things like: 

• *Working Capital - to be repaid over 10 years
• *Machinery and Equipment - to be repaid over 10 years
• *Real estate acquisitions/renovation of owner-occupied businesses - to be repaid over 25 years
• *Tenant improvements - to be repaid over the life of the lease
• *Refinancing existing debts

Press on the project can be found below. Join us in congratulating The West End Neighborhood House, The Longwood Foundation, Discover Bank, Department of State Division of Small Business Development and Tourism and the National Development Council and all those who worked so hard for this project that will play a major key in economic development.

http://www.wdel.com/news/video-state-looking-to-recreate-wilmington-s-success-launches-grow/article_a499cbb2-c337-11e7-b7fe-4f3e86329dab.html

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2017/11/07/grow-delaware-fund-aims-help-small-businesses-grow-and-create-jobs/837156001/

Just Three Meetings Left! Join Us & Make an Impact on Your City!

Mayor Mike Purzycki and City Planning Director Herb Inden announced that Wilmington is moving into the second phase of its year-long, community-driven process to develop a new citywide comprehensive plan. The new comp plan, which is entitled “Wilmington 2028,” will guide growth and development across the City for the next decade. The next phase involves a series of five public meetings throughout the City at which citizens are invited to drop by and offer additional comments and ideas about the comp plan. There are only three meetings left, so be sure to join in to make an impact on your city!

• Where: Woodlawn Library, 2020 West 9th Street

When: Tuesday, November 14, between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

• Where: Southbridge Neighborhood House, 1218 B Street

When: Tuesday, November 21, between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

• Where: Mt. Carmel United Church, 800 North Walnut Street

When: Thursday, November 30, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

10 Places to Give this Holiday Season and Make a Difference in Wilmington!

One of the greatest things you can do to get into the holiday spirit is volunteer and make a difference in the community around you. Here are just a few incredible organizations within Downtown Wilmington, that could use your help this holiday season. Whether it is a donation of your time, or financial resources, you can be sure that your generosity will go to a good cause. 

1.  Our Youth Inc. 35th Annual Turkey Giveaway: For 35 years Nor Enterprises and Our Youth Inc. has provided food to thousands of seniors and families in our community who might otherwise have gone hungry on Thanksgiving Day. In the past 10 years alone they have fed in excess of 75,000 people. 

2. Reed's Refuge: Reeds’ Refuge Center is a community-focused non-profit organization committed to the holistic development and well-being of the children and financially afflicted families of the inner city of Delaware. 

3. Sunday Breakfast Mission: The Sunday Breakfast Mission serves the homeless, addicted and impoverished.

4. Neighborhood House: Neighborhood House provides informational programs that impact low to moderate income individuals, families and communities.

5. Ronald McDonald House: Keeping families with sick children together and near the care and resources they need.

6. Delaware Humane Association: Delaware’s premiere nonprofit no-kill animal care and adoption center, serving a four-state area. They are committed to providing for the needs of homeless and owned dogs and cats in our community.

7. The Ministry of Caring: The Ministry of Caring is a vibrant community of staff, volunteers, donors and diverse supporters united by a passion to serve the poor. 

8. St Patrick's Center: St. Patrick's Center provides emergency food, meals, respite for the homeless, clothing, transportation, and recreational activities for people in need on Wilmington's east side.

9. The Food Bank of Delaware: The Food Bank of Delaware, a member of Feeding America, formerly America’s Second Harvest, is a statewide nonprofit agency whose vision is a community free of hunger.

10. Friendship House: Based in New Castle County, Delaware, Friendship House is a non-profit, faith-based corporation serving individuals and families that are or are at risk of becoming homeless. Welcoming to all, Friendship House strives to serve as a sanctuary and stepping stone to those in need through the traditional spiritual ministries of hospitality, education, empowerment, and community.

To support Downtown Visions fiscally or through volunteering, click here. 

Post by Julia Mason of Enthusiasm Lab

Martin Hageman, Executive Director of Downtown Visions Sees Progress and Hope in The City of Wilmington

Curious what "The Vision" is in Downtown Visions? Downtown Visions is proud to devote an overwhelming share of its resources to highly visible and effective on-street programs such as the following:

• Business Marketing and Education
• Historic Building Preservation
• The Wilmington Farmer's Market
• Signage and Facade Improvement Programs 
• Security Gate Removal
• Cleaning Ambassadors
• Safety Ambassadors
• Small Business Saturday
• & Much More! 

Downtown Visions is a private, non-profit organization that manages the Business Improvement District in Wilmington. Our Main Street® program not only saves historic buildings, but also focuses on small business recruitment, business marketing and promotion, all of which work towards the greater effort of creating new jobs.

To support Downtown Visions fiscally or through volunteering, click here. 

 Video Directed and Produced by www.mosaiceaststudios.com

Post by Julia Mason of Enthusiasm Lab

Wilmington is Becoming More Business Friendly: City Launches New 10-Day Sewer/Water Plans Review Process

News Release from The City of Wilmington:

Mayor Purzycki tosses out the City’s average 60-day review turnaround timeline; says this is the start of reforming the City’s permitting and inspection process.

Vowing to make the City more friendly and efficient for business development projects that help the City grow, Mayor Mike Purzycki and Acting Public Works Commissioner Kelly Williams today announced a new, expedited process for the review and approval of water and sewer development plans. The Mayor said the revised review process will mean the approval process will take approximately 10 days instead of the current 60 days or more. Purzycki and Williams stressed that the 10-day review will be just as thorough as the current process, just faster.

“City government has to operate more efficiently and quickly when it comes to reviewing development plans and issuing permits,” said Mayor Purzycki. “There are about two dozen or so larger-scale development projects that come to the City annually for review. When they come our way, it’s the City’s duty to review them thoroughly and then pass judgement. These projects can mean jobs and revenue for the City, so the last thing we should do it unnecessarily delay the review process.” Purzycki said City government should be assisting and guiding these projects to completion, not being a hindrance as has happened in the past. “We are beginning to change the mindset within government and are about to reform the entire permitting and inspections process to make it more efficient and fair to everyone including businesses and residents.”

Acting Public Works Commissioner Williams said the City has contracted with the Wilmington-based engineering firm of RK&K to perform engineering and environmental reviews whenever the City’s current review process, which is housed in the Public Works Department, becomes overloaded or backed-up on projects. The City will pay RK&K $50,000 annually to keep the plans review process on a 10-day turnaround schedule. The Mayor said the new review process is in place and ready to receive proposals.

Purzycki, who has an extensive business and development background, said many of the reforms he is planning for the permitting, inspections and plans review processes come from the frustration he and others experienced in dealing with the City in the past. “There is a more efficient way to handle plans reviews and other services we provide to citizens,” said the Mayor. “Most encouraging is that many of our own employees who do this work every day are helping us figure out how to do things better. That’s because they are being asked for their ideas and solutions and that can make a world of difference in any type of operation.”

Looking for more tools to start your business? Click here.