Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

122 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 Development is already starting to uptick with the construction of the new Drexeline Shopping Center on Route 1. The 1950s-built commerce area is undergoing a transformation to make it a more cohesive and inviting space that will now include both retail and residential property. The newly-redesigned space will also feature walking paths and easy access to public transportation. “The redevelopment of Drexeline is one of the large projects currently in progress,” Keffer says. “It’s great. It’s been a long time coming. It’s an 18-acre property, which has been challenging, but they’re really moving forward now.” The Drexline development fills in a hole in the township’s otherwise robust housing market. “How do you attract well-educated, entrepreneurial young people? You need mid- market, affordable luxury housing stock for them to live in,” Rongione says. “And that’s why the mayor has worked with developers to add that aspect to our housing stock.” Looking ahead to the next few years, Keffer and Rongione plan to continue to build on the foundation they have laid for the future of Upper Darby, with the hopes of attracting even more business to the blossoming township. “I think now that we are coming out of the pandemic, the future is going to look like really making a pitch to the business community that Upper Darby is the place to locate your next satellite office,” Rongione says. “The idea is that we’re putting in place the things that are needed to make it attractive so that businesses want to locate in Upper Darby. And I think that’s what you’re going to see.” PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n eCollect+ www.ecollectplus.com In early 2020, E-Collect was engaged to assist the Township Tax Office with business privilege and mercantile tax audits, collecting over 10% of the total annual budgeted business privilege tax budget during this period for years 2020 and 2021. E-Collect helped identify over $1.5 million in outstanding taxes and collected approximately $1 million more (50% increase) for the Township during 2022 than the Township collected in the previous year.