The city of Seaford saw a visit from Governor John Carney last Thursday as part of a celebration of a $3 million investment to clean up and develop the waterfront. Carney joined DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin, Representative Danny Short, Seaford Mayor Matt MacCoy, and numerous other officials and spoke on the history of Seaford and what this investment means for the future of the city.
Governor Carney spoke on some of his history with the city of Seaford, reminiscing about spending time in a Walmart parking lot meeting and talking to residents of Sussex County and recalled when Representative Short took him out on the Nanticoke River.
Representative Danny Short, left, gave Governor John Carney presents to remember Seaford when Carney becomes Mayor of Wilmington: a city of Seaford hat and a coffee cup. Photo by Carson Williamson
“It became a special place for me, in my heart,” Carney explained. “And of course I had known all of the stories about Seaford, once voted the best small town in America I think, and a lot of that was because of the DuPont nylon plant that was in Seaford, and when it closed it had a dramatic effect on the town.” Carney continued, stating that the investments in the town are important for the future of not only Seaford, but for Sussex County. When addressing Sussex County Council President Mike Vincent, Carney expressed his gratitude to be able to help Sussex County and to participate in this project with mayors and state representatives and other officials.
Mayor MacCoy also spoke on the project, opening with thanks to the countless individuals involved, not only in this project but in numerous other projects, working towards revitalizing Seaford. “When I look around this crowd, I see a lot of people who are invested in this city,” MacCoy said. “I see city officials, I see our city manager, I see our economic development leader, city councilman, county council president, county economic development leader, police officers, local leadership from our school district. What that speaks to me is that this is a community; the community is invested in this project for downtown Seaford.”
MacCoy also thanked the previous council and leaders of Seaford, stating that this type of project doesn’t get completed overnight and it takes years of planning and work to get things to where they are now. “If you haven’t noticed, Seaford is changing,” MacCoy said. “I believe for the better. Governor Carney has said that once upon a time that Seaford was voted the best town in America. I believe it can be the best little city in America again. It’s projects such as these that make us proud to be a resident and a part of Seaford.”
MacCoy later gave thanks to Representative Short. “Danny was the tip of the spear for the city of Seaford for a variety of different projects,” MacCoy explained, “We would not have the advancement and the improvements in this city if it was not for Representative Short.”
Currently, the property is owned by David Perlmutter, and is being developed by David, Faith Perlmutter Diamond and Warren Diamond. Over $207,000 has been spent on site remediation and cleanup thus far from state funds. Although David was not able to attend the event, Short was given the opportunity to read a letter from David which thanked Governor Carney and other officials for securing the grant provided to this project and look forward to the future of revitalizing Seaford’s downtown along the riverfront. Located upon the riverfront in Seaford are the remains of the former city power plant. An oil-fired power plant, this area operated for over 80 years before it shut down, and the property was decommissioned in 2015.
With this grant, DNREC and the city of Seaford intends to clean the area of the various contaminants present at the property, such as asbestos, hydrocarbons in metals, contaminated soil, etc. In its place is planned a riverwalk area comprised of residential and retail space as well as restaurants and offices.
The plan currently includes a partnership with the Chesapeake Conservancy and stretches from Front Street to Oyster House Park. These changes seek to help alleviate some of the housing concerns currently facing not just the state of Delaware but the entire county, and to bring more residents into the city of Seaford and facilitate further growth. These changes also reflect the evolution of Seaford over the years, with changes to codes and regulations in order to bring larger residential housing into the area.
