Page 60 - southerndelawaretourism2024-1127
P. 60
Low-Interest Loan Program
The County created a public-private partnership with
Discover Bank and the Grow America Fund, investing $24
million in the ExciteSussex Loan Program to provide low-
interest, long-term loans, aimed at businesses that have at
least 10 employees and have been in business for at least two
years.
Economic and Opportunity Zones
To create new interest in these areas, Sussex County identified
three Economic Development Zones ripe for redevelopment
and expansion.
Fortunately for Sussex County, on the heels of this
designation, Delaware also identified 25 census tracts that
have been approved by the U.S. Department of the Treasury
as Opportunity Zones. Five of those zones — one each in
Georgetown and Laurel and three in Seaford — mirror the
newly designated Sussex zones. Today, investors are eligible
for federal tax incentives (through capital gains reinvestment) Shovel-Ready Business Park
in these low-income, economically depressed zones.
The Delaware Coastal Business Park has shovel-ready sites,
These Opportunity Zone designations assist the ongoing conveniently located in Georgetown next to the Delaware
community development efforts and encourage additional Coastal Airport. Call (302) 855-7770 for details.
private investment. As a result, qualified investors in the
Today, Atlantis Industries manufactures plastic injection
zones become eligible for federal tax incentives. As growth
molding in a 40,000-square-foot facility. Nearby, the
moves westward from the coastal areas, these new incentives
Jaykal LED Solutions company creates innovative lighting
help make central and western Sussex the new frontier.
products, and DGS Properties LLC operates as Creative
Downtown Development Districts Floors South, Inc., to supply flooring materials. In autumn
2022, Great Outdoor Cottages entered its permanent home
Downtown Development Districts are located within several
to construct cottages for camping on across the eastern U.S.
Opportunity and Economic Development Zones in Sussex
County. Many of these Downtown Development Districts ZoomProspector
offer additional state, county and municipal incentives for
We are proud to have invested in this mapping program
downtown development. Investors can begin to stack these
for the general public. ZoomProspector lets you to see GIS
incentives with Opportunity Zone and Development Zone
data, fast and for free. Anyone can simply open the Sussex
benefits to make their investments even more attractive.
County map at ZoomProspector.com (a national site selector
website).
xSoftware
There is a wealth of information for anyone considering
SizeUp is a digital research software program providing Sussex County as a potential business homebase. GIS data
geographically specific market information to empower shows everything from infrastructure and opportunity zones
entrepreneurs in their decision-making processes. The new to demographics and labor statistics — all on an easy-to-
program was incorporated into the ExciteSussex website in read map. Find properties on the market, or do community
2019, will be free of charge to use, thanks to the County’s comparisons. Because of our investment, business owners
investment. have fast and easy access, with no fees, no logging in and no
middle man.
3
58 | Southern Delaware Visitors Guide