Delaware is home to the region's only Specialty Aftermarket Equipment Business Park. Read More
BUILDINGS & SITES The City of Delaware has over 70 buildings and sites to serve your business' needs. Click on the following link to search or browse all City of Delaware properties. Search City of Delaware Properties Serving an R&D center, boutique manufacturer or specialty equipment automotive company? Check out our new cluster park work by clicking the following image: Specialty Aftermarket Are you serving a retailer? Our RETAIL page discusses how the City of Delaware has grown as a stand-alone retail market: City of Delaware Retail Market LABOR FORCE With a 20,000 worker local labor pool and a multi-county labor shed with nearly 2 million workers to draw from, we have the talent for your company whether you are looking for engineers, production level employees, warehouse and distribution workers, or IT or other white collar scientific or management and office employees. Click to find out more about the City of Delaware's excellent “The Delaware community continues to grow and expand in all areas; housing, schools and business. This has helped JEGS attract a great workforce to service its customers and over 1 million packages shipped annually. Delaware has become quite a home for JEGS.” –The Coughlin Family INCENTIVES The City of Delaware offers competitive incentives that are negotiated based on the return on investment of your project. Our team will quickly give you an idea of potential incentives and then will make a recommendation to the Incentives Negotiation Team on what you should be offered. The recommendations of the Negotiation Team become a letter of intent that then formulate agreements which are presented to City Council for their Consideration. Most incentive packages can be completed and passed by Council in 60 days or less depending on scheduling of meeting dates and the amount of countering involved. The following is a list of links to our incentive programs. More detailed info can be read by click on that program. These are often times in addition to state incentive packages. We can arrange a meeting with our Columbus2020 project manager and your team to discuss potential state incentives. State incentives can include Job Creation Tax Credits, workforce training grants, road development grants, and loans. Contact us to begin discussions on how your project may qualify for incentives.
WHY DELAWARE? The City of Delaware is one of the fastest growing communities in Ohio and is the county seat of one of the fastest growing counties in the country! Why is everyone moving here? Here are just a few of the reasons: EDUCATION Four of the state's top ranked school districts in the county with #1 Olentangy Local Schools, Delaware City Schools and Delaware Area Career Center serving the City. If you don't want your children going to one of our high performing public schools, you also have your choice of multiple private schools including Delaware Christian, St. Mary's, and Village Academy. We also are convenient to the Japanese Language School and Ohio German Language School. Your employees have a plethora of educational options in Delaware!HIGHER EDUCATION SHOPPING AND DINING RECREATION & PARKS Your employees and their families will have plenty to keep them loving their lives in Delaware including:- The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (nation's #1 zoo) - Over 21 miles of bike trails - Delaware Community Center YMCA - Multiple city parks including Mingo Park, Jack Florence Pool, Delaware Dog Park, upcoming Splash Pad, etc. - Preservation Parks Network - The Chiller Ice Rinks - Alum Creek State Park, Delaware Lake State Park, Olentangy and Scioto Rivers - 8 Golf Courses - Blackwing Shooting Center - Delaware District Library - Delaware Municipal Airport - Skyzone Trampoline Park - Lazer Kraze - Multiple Bowling Alleys - Olentangy Indian Caverns - Mad River Mountain Skiing and Tubing - The Ohio Machine professional lacrosse team THE ARTS HOUSING With 150 or more houses being built per year, we have a residential option for every budget. Houses range from $100,000 to $500,000+. We also have condos and apartments for all tastes including high end 2nd and 3rd floor renovated downtown apartments. | INFRASTRUCTURE The City of Delaware provides excellent infrastructure for your business including transportation for trucks and employees, rail, airport, excess water and sewer, telecom and fiber. We continue to seek opportunities for improving our infrastructure to better serve our business community and residents.
BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION Once you locate your business in the City of Delaware, you won't want to leave and we are here to make sure that stays true! Our team of Economic Development and Business Concierge Professionals is here to work with you to find opportunities, discover solutions to issues and connect your business with resources of all sorts. We also stay in touch with you. Each year a team of trained volunteers joins our staff in visiting as many businesses as possible. We are also always a call, email or text away. Find out more about our Business Retention & Expansion assistance by visiting the BRE page or contact through via our contact info below. “We have seen tremendous growth and diversification that has transformed the company. We have achieved this due largely to the support of our employees and customers, and also the greater Delaware community.” – Judd Scott, President and COO of V&P Hydraulics DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Our Business Concierges will walk you through the entire development process and act as your teammate and liaison with Planning, Engineering, Building, Fire, Police and City Council. For already annexed and zoned sites, the full pre-development process takes 3 to 4 months from start (for a combined preliminary and final development plan option). A separate preliminary and final development plan requires additional Planning Commission and Council Hearings for each adding around 2 months to the process. If a site needs to be annexed and zone, the full process will normally take 6 months at minimum due to required annexation waiting periods. The Shortest Process
With Annexation and Zoning
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DELAWARE Historic Downtown Delaware has achieved a 97% first-floor occupancy rate through collaborative efforts. Our, now, incredibly vibrant downtown has leveraged an estimated $70 million in investment with over $200,000 in downtown facade grants, community reinvestment area abatements, state and federal historic tax credits, etc. This district is an important recruitment tool for not only businesses but for young talented labor for your business. Read more about Downtown Delaware HERE. OUR BUSINESSES Nearly 2,000 businesses call the City of Delaware home due to the low cost of doing business here, access to labor and access to local, regional and national markets. Find out more about a few of these businesses here. DESIGNATED OUTDOOR REFRESHMENT AREA | DORA: Delaware City Council voted on October 23, 2017 to establish a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) in the downtown. A DORA is just that, a designated public area where alcoholic beverages (limited to beer and wine) can legally be consumed. In Delaware’s case, this will allow for the consumption of beer and wine (no spirituous liquor during special events only. Special events are defined as events that require an event permit from the City of Delaware. It will be up to the event organizer to determine if the event will be a DORA event. |