$60M investment to breathe new life into Nylon Capital Shopping Center in Seaford
SEAFORD, Del. – It’s a new day for Seaford, as a mostly vacant shopping center is set to get a breath of new life.
A Shopping Center in Decline
Today, the Nylon Capital Shopping Center is home to only a small handful of tenants. Seaford Mayor David Genshaw says it was much busier, and different scene years ago. “40 years ago, I was a senior in high school and this site, on a day like today before Christmas, would’ve been packed,” he said at a Tuesday press conference.
As the shopping center was thriving, so too was the community, says Mayor Genshaw; the DuPont nylon plant was just half-a-mile away, and Seaford School District and housing prices were booming. Mayor Genshaw says that changed over the years.
“In the 1980s, we experienced something different when crack cocaine came into our town. We got recognition for something quite different than we were expecting,” said Mayor Genshaw.
With the crack cocaine epidemic, Mayor Genshaw says jobs were lost at the DuPont plant, and businesses began picking up and moving to the East side of town. However, with Tuesdays announcement, the mayor says that will all change.
“We’re at the very beginning stages of something that’s going to be incredible; something that will be hard to imagine, even just standing here today,” said Mayor Genshaw.
Revitalization Plan
This is where developer Rob Herrera comes in. He’s a partner with 9th Street Development Company, which is set to head up the task.
“Humans like spaces that are built for humans, not built for cars. I think that shopping centers all over America are going to fall on hard times, and they need to be repositioned,” said Herrera. “Sussex County, in particular, is experiencing a tremendous amount of growth. I’d like to kind of be right on the edge of that.”
Site revitalization plans will completely transform the mostly-empty complex, says Herrera. He says when work is complete, $60 million will have been invested to make the shopping center a destination for Sussex County once again. Herrera has also committed to making his co-working space, The Mill, an anchor tenant.
“There will be a healthcare component, there will be an education component, and I can speak for The Mill, we will absolutely commit to the site and build a co-working space that is second to none,” said Herrera. “I think The Mill as an anchor tenant is the kind of thing that requires a diverse set of small businesses. I think Seaford is just hitting the mark to be able to accommodate that accommodate that.”
Developers also tell 47 ABC that Del Tech Community College has already committed to 15,000 to 20,000 square feet at the center. The school is expected to start up a workforce training program there, says Herrera.
Herrera says work won’t just be focused on the building, itself. “The site could use some trees, some landscaping, and some walking paths. I think that at 22 acres, doing things like that is just a smart investment to ensure long-term growth,” he said.
Starting the Work
Physical work hasn’t started on the site just yet. However, Herrera says the complex will look much different once it’s complete.
“We have just started a property conditions assessment. But, I will say there will absolutely be demolition on the site, as we would like to build a new, walkable community,” said Herrera. “These sorts of set ups have 60 year lifespans. I want to build for a long-term more human-centered development. That’s going to take some demolition.”
As for existing tenants, Herrera says his team is closely working with them, as well.
“I think there will be some shuffling around. But, we’ve notified all the tenants that we’re here now. We’ve started the conversations, and we really just want to understand their intentions, and where they want to go. We’ll go from there,” said Herrera.
