Delco’s ‘State of the County,’ 2018: It’s all business
SPRINGFIELD » Delaware County leaders addressed the “ever-changing landscapes” of all facets of county living in its annual “State of the County” address.
Delaware County Council Chairman John McBlain gave the report at the Springfield Country Club Thursday afternoon, detailing economic development prospects, county finances, the property reassessment process, open spaces and even the historic change in party leadership in the county.
“Every year we present a state of the county address that seeks to be positive and optimistic about our past and future accomplishments,” said McBlain. “That’s because we have a lot to be proud of as a county.”
A bulk of McBlain’s address was given to new development and business prospects on the horizon. Even after the county’s failed bid to make the shortlist for Amazon HQ2 to set up in Chester, McBlain said the diverse and skilled work force has been beneficial in bringing the following projects to the county:
The re-development of the Granite Run Mall site by BET Investments that will include a town center setup with shops, restaurants and a new movie theater. Panera Bread and Chipotle have already opened at the location;
A state-of-the-art facility at Wawa’s Red Roof headquarters in Chester Heights will open this month;
Equus Capital’s Shops at Ellis Preserve in Newtown Square has included a 138-room Hilton Garden hotel with a ballroom and a slate of stores and restaurants that have already opened. Phase 1 of the Shops at Ellis Preserve will be rounded out with a Whole Food grocery store and townhouses and apartments opening in the fall;
The Drexeline Shopping Center in Upper Darby is looking to be redeveloped by MCB Real Estate for up to $120 million that will employ a town center concept to improve the economic vitality of the community;
Close to Drexeline is the Drexelbrook complex that has a hotel being built on the property next to the Drexelbrook Special Events Venue that is scheduled to open this summer;
In Media, residential developments and apartment complexes are at or nearing completion. The West End Walk townhouse community on the west end of the borough is sold out while the Hampton Inn Hotel on the east end of the borough ready to open in August;
Boeing, the largest county employer, is undergoing an $85 million renovation of its Ridley Township facilities for a 300,000-square foot production building and 50,000 square feet of office space to be completed next year;
The new Ridley Township Public Library and Memorial Library of Radnor will be opening at the end of the month following renovation/expansion projects.
With a lot of construction going on in the county, and coupled with the Office of Workforce Development and re-entry program, the county unemployment rate is at 4.4 percent, below the national average of 4.8 percent.
“Everywhere you go in our county, including in our county seat, you see buildings going up, apartments and townhomes opening, new hotels, boosting tourism, and most importantly, connecting people with jobs,” said McBlain.
Delaware County Chamber of Commerce President Trish McFarland said the economic development in the county is exciting because of the great things happening for the business sector.
“The more economic development that we have, the stronger it is for our residents,” said McFarland. “Businesses want to relocate here because of all of the great things happening.”
McBlain said the county’s economic success is a factor contributing to the county maintaining a credit rating of Aa1 from Moody’s Investors service and AA from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. Moody’s has reported that the median family income in the county is 125 percent of the U.S. level which is good for economic development.
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