Downtown Delaware businesses and North Sandusky Street. Credit: Zac Hiser / Delaware Source

Editor’s Note: This is the second story in a five-part Delaware Source series examining changes made to Delaware City Council’s Strategic Action Plan. Each installment focuses on one of the plan’s five priority areas.

DELAWARE — As Delaware continues to attract new employers, city leaders say the next challenge is making sure the city’s economic development strategy keeps pace.

During a strategic planning retreat Monday, officials identified affordable workforce housing, additional economic development capacity and the creation of a city Community Improvement Corporation among the priorities they want to pursue over the next two years.

City council members and department leaders met to review the city’s Strategic Action Plan, evaluate progress and identify new priorities. Council first adopted the plan in August 2025.

Management Advisory Group managing partner David Collinsworth led the work session.

Strategic Action Plan focus areas:

  • Strengthen fiscal sustainability
  • Grow and diversify the local economy
  • Strengthen regional partnerships
  • Foster community connectivity and vibrancy
  • Solve parking and mobility challenges

The economic development section of the Strategic Action Plan focuses on expanding Delaware’s employment base, preparing infrastructure for future growth and addressing workforce challenges such as affordable housing.

According to the city’s updated planning packet, this portion of the plan remains “on track.”

The first story from this series:

Pieces in place today

Before identifying new priorities, city officials reviewed the status of nine existing initiatives:

  • Expand Employment Base — On Track
    • Increased visibility with site selectors and state partners
    • Submitted two to three major employer requests for information each week
    • Improved marketing of available sites and development readiness
    • Three industrial buildings (250,000 square feet) under construction, delivering in 2026
    • PPG‘s $280 million expansion and Sam Dong expansion continues moving forward
  • Promote Delaware to Major Employers — On Track
    • Economic development messaging refined for site selectors and target industries
    • Business Resource Guide created to clarify incentive programs
    • National and international outreach through trade shows and marketing
    • Business Retention & Expansion visits with core employers
  • Infrastructure & Partnership Development — On Track
    • Secured $1.5 million state roadwork grant supporting major employer development
    • Two major water and sanitary sewer projects underway in the southwest area
    • Strengthened coordination with Delaware County on incentive alignment
    • Improved utility planning coordination with AEP
  • Workforce Housing & Site Readiness — In Progress
    • Policy options under evaluation, including land strategies and fee reductions
    • Market feasibility limits mandatory affordability approaches
  • Housing Affordability Initiatives — In Progress
    • Two affordable housing projects under construction (95 total units)
    • One additional affordable housing project advancing (72 unts)
    • Engagement underway with Ohio Housing Finance Agency to support future opportunities
  • Economic Development Reserves — On Track
    • Approximately $600,000 available for targeted economic development support
    • Funds positioned to assist 1-2 high-impact projects annually where feasibility gaps exist
  • Implementing Accessory Dwelling Units — On Track
    • Accessory Dwelling Units were included as an allowed use in Zoning Code update approved in 2025
  • Employer-Assisted Housing — In Progress
    • Employer housing challenges elevated through workforce engagement
    • Participating in employer roundtables led by Delaware County
  • Community Land Trust — In Progress
    • Nonprofit partnership advancing alongside major land donation
    • $2.5 million grant application submitted
    • Infrastructure funding efforts support development of 100+ affordable for-sale homes

With the above progress reviewed, Collinsworth led an exercise to identify new ideas for the economy section and determine which should become the city’s highest priorities for the section and strategic plan as a whole.

The priorities of tomorrow

Unlike the fiscal sustainability portion of the strategic plan, officials spent relatively little time proposing major changes to Delaware’s overall economic development strategy.

Instead, Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle, Councilman Adam Haynes and several other officials commended the city’s Economic Development Director Nic Langford for the significant progress made over the past year.

Officials simply said a priority moving forward is encouraging Langford and his staff to keep the same approach towards economic development, with an emphasis on retention.

As officials looked ahead, however, they identified several priorities they believe will help support the city’s continued growth.

Among the highest priorities was exploring the creation of a city Community Improvement Corporation, or CIC, that would operate separately from the Delaware County Land Bank.

Officials also identified several other priorities, including:

  • Building stronger relationships with state officials to pursue additional grant opportunities.
  • Expanding affordable workforce housing.
  • Ensuring the city’s economic development department has adequate staffing as responsibilities grow.

What’s next

The ideas discussed Monday do not immediately change city policy.

Instead, Collinsworth said the work session was intended to identify priorities that staff can begin incorporating into future council discussions and formal action items as the strategic plan continues to evolve.

This is the second installment in a five-part Delaware Source series examining updates to the city’s Strategic Action Plan. The next story will focus on regional partnerships.

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Delaware's newsman. Ohio University alum. I go fishing and admire trucks when I take my wordsmith hat off. Got a tip? Send me an email at jack@delawaresource.com.