News

To call the road that most metro areas have traveled this year rocky would be akin to labeling Mount Everest a speed bump. But the most turbulent period of our lifetimes will eventually give way to a sustained recovery. And when it does, certain types of metro areas are i...Continue Reading

In times of economic struggle — such as the recession that abruptly arrived with the COVID-19 pandemic — analysts and advocates promote an array of options as effective tools for stimulating the economy. One of the most frequently suggested options is infrastructure spending. Proponents of infrastructure spending during dire economi...Continue Reading

For the sixth consecutive year, SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, is pleased to provide the Arts Vibrancy Index Report, which draws upon a set of data-informed indices to recognize arts-vibrant communities across the United States. We acknowledge and honor the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic and recent racia...Continue Reading

Businesses that received small loans under the federal Paycheck Protection Program will have an easier time having those loans forgiven under new rules that were announced. The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, unveiled a simpler application for businesses seeking not to have to repay PPP loan...Continue Reading

WILMINGTON – In hopes to better prepare Delaware’s workforce for the post-pandemic job market, the state has launched a rapid training program geared to get people ready for a new career path or to sharpen their skills. Forward Delaware brings together state, education and business leaders to develop a certification progra...Continue Reading

Did you see that Forbes recently named Wilmington among the top cities for New Yorkers to getaway alongside DC and Philadelphia? Check out the great things that Katie Chang has to say about visiting Wilmington! What to do: Though many associate this Delaware town with politics – Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden resides here – there’s fa...Continue Reading

Fitch Ratings, a global leader in credit rating and research, has reaffirmed Wilmington’s AA- bond rating and has also posted a stable bond rating outlook for the City. The favorable bond rating review affirms the city’s efforts to regulate revenue and expenditures to ensure that Wilmington can manage both anticipate...Continue Reading

DOVER, DE – Hundreds of Delaware small businesses and nonprofit organizations have been approved for the first round of DE Relief Grants, the largest cumulative grant award ever made by the State of Delaware to small businesses. A total of 741 applicants will share $25.7 million in funding through the first roun...Continue Reading

Earlier this year, as they were approaching just their second anniversary, CEO Craig Wensell, CFO Keith Hughes and VP of Marketing John Fusco of Wilmington Brew Works holed up in their expansive Miller Road location to discuss the state’s then-recently announced phased re-opening. Their navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic since then ha...Continue Reading

On September 17th,  Mayor Purzycki and the City Council announced a partnership with the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation and Wilmington Alliance to participate in the National League of Cities City Innovation Ecosystems Program to help support small businesses citywide and to develop a system that levels the playing field for acces...Continue Reading

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), and the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) launched COVID Alert DE – a mobile app available in the App Store or Google Play that will help Delaware fight community spread of COVID-19.   The free mobile app – available to anyone 18 o...Continue Reading

Second Chances Farm on Bowers Street in Wilmington received a visit on Monday, September 14, 2020 from two high ranking members of President Trump's Cabinet. U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson visited the vertical, hydroponic farm operation which is located in an Opportunit...Continue Reading

The downtown Wilmington food hall DECO is scheduled to reopen on Monday, September 14, 2020. The site inside the Dupont Building was home to eight different food vendors along with a bar area, and had been opened not quite a year, when it was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ric...Continue Reading

"I'm a working parent and when I found out that my daughter was going to need to learn virtually to start the year, I thought to myself, 'My goodness, how am I going to handle this with with my own job and her learning?'" There's one more option for parents wh...Continue Reading

Matthew Saponaro, the founder of A.I. Whoo, is a savvy CEO. In early 2020, his artificial intelligence company marketed its services to zoos, aquariums and other attractions. By using existing video footage, A.I. Whoo could ethically capture visitors’ engagement level and provide data and insight to improve outcomes. But with th...Continue Reading

Betsy Renzo, a mom of two elementary school-aged kids and a teacher-turned-program manager with Wilmington’s Social Contract, first started hearing about learning pods earlier in the summer. “‘Pods’ became the word of the summer,” she said, of the concept of families pooling their money to hire educators to teach small groups o...Continue Reading

Railroads are an integral part of the Delaware landscape. They parallel Interstate 95 and the Delaware River, curve through neighborhoods and add fun ambiance to alfresco dining in Trolley Square, a popular Wilmington community. Businesspeople and leisure travelers depend on the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station on the Wilmington Riverfront...Continue Reading

The Delaware-based podcast The Second Foundation, founded in 2018 by Josh Simmons and Chris Boyle, has a new mini-series continuing their mission to help build better local entrepreneurship communities. The series, “Family of Founders,” features interviews with founders at all stages. “We’re trying to give our listeners, and ourselves, something to grab onto as we buil...Continue Reading

WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) -- After delays because of the pandemic, Tyler Akin's new French brasserie will open at Wilmington's iconic Hotel du Pont on September 1. Le Cavalier at the Green Room will occupy the space that housed the Green Room for more than 100 years. Akin is well-known in Philadelphia fo...Continue Reading

The bank's $6.9 million expansion will bring customer service jobs to City headquarters. In collaboration with Delaware Prosperity Partnership, Barclays US Consumer Bank today announced plans to create more than 300 new customer service jobs at its Wilmington headquarters during a meeting of the Council on Development Finance (CDF). Barclays representatives presente...Continue Reading

Gulftainer has wasted no time in making an impact as the new operator of the Port of Wilmington, but it has had to navigate the uncertain waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world’s largest independent port operator, based in the United Arab Emirates, took over the Port of Wilmington in October 2018 afte...Continue Reading

Two new funding opportunities were created to help Downtown Wilmington DE establishments get back to business after the past few months. Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP) The Delaware Department of Justice created the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program for businesses that were damaged or vandalized following the peaceful demonstrations. VCAP can assist Delawareans with crim...Continue Reading

Delaware Prosperity Partnership microsite helping businesses remotely review location, expansion potential despite pandemic restrictions Businesses seeking to locate or expand in Delaware after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted can explore available Delaware sites now thanks to a powerful online tool that provides information about buildings, labor force and more. The tool i...Continue Reading