$1M will go towards a new Center for Urban Revitalization and Entrepreneurship in Dover

DOVER, Del.- Exciting news in Dover Tuesday as $1 million in federal funding was announced for a Center for Urban Revitalization and Entrepreneurship. This will be a partnership between Delaware State University and NCALL, a housing and community development organization.

This project will address the lack of small business incubators in Kent County, specifically in Downtown Dover. The building which will be one block from DSU’s Dover Campus will house a resident-driven community development effort and a DSU-run shared business space to promote community based entrepreneurship. “Organizations like these are really specific, particularly around entrepreneurship for people who never got the invitation to dream big, never imagined how their own ingenuity could help them not only secure economic self reliance for their families, but also give jobs to others and equally important build neighborhoods,” Dr. Tony Allen, DSU President, said.

Leaders, including Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, spoke about what this new project will bring to the community; she said jobs, partnership, and innovation. She also said it’ll be a driver for economic and community development. “I think about building generational wealth, building generational wealth that the investment that we are making today is a seed that will bloom and blossom for generations to come,” Rep. Blunt Rochester, said. “So, that when a family member can start a business it’s not just for them as an individual, it’s for their child to make sure that they can live in a home, and that they can go to school, and that they can then multiple that seed.”

The federal funding will supplement the $1.24 million that NCALL raised from various sources.

We’re told the City of Dover granted the final state approval this past May. Leaders said construction will start in the Fall.