Gov. John Carney and Dover-area legislators announce plans to spend $25 million on three downtown Dover revitalization projects.
The announced funding is part of the $500 million Capital City 2030 strategic plan to add more residential, retail and green space in Dover’s downtown area.
With the $10 million from Gov. John Carney’s proposed 2025 capital budget and his allocation of $15 million from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, the City of Dover and Downtown Dover Partnership plan to proceed with three projects.
Downtown Dover Partnership Chair Todd Stonesifer says the funding will create a domino effect, kickstarting the first of many planned downtown developments.
“It’s going to make the first two major projects possible, and there’s another couple of groups of projects kind of waiting in the wings right behind those that become reality also.”
The projects include an $80 million six-story retail and residential building and a $14 million transportation center with over 300 parking spaces, a bus stop, bike share and electric vehicle charging.
The funding will also cover a $1.7 million water and wastewater infrastructure upgrade.
Stonesifer says adding more residential space will satisfy the demand for more walkable communities and increase foot traffic in the area.
“Success hinges on bringing back pedestrian traffic in the form of people that live downtown. That’s what it does for the Dover community is it brings people back to downtown, and that brings a demand for restaurants and retail business.”
Mosaic Development Partners, the team selected by the Downtown Dover Partnership to create the strategic plan, has also been selected by the Partnership to develop the two properties.
