Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 9

67 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 DOVER , DELAWARE We also work very closely with the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA), developing a game plan for more affordable housing for our lower income folks.” From the time a new housing project is proposed in Dover, to the day ground is broken, is a turnaround of between four to six months maximum. The city used to have a reputation for having the book of “no” but these days Mayor Christiansen is proud to say, “We now have the book of “yes” and that makes us stand out.” Dover’s historic downtown is also unique. Unlike Virginia’s Williamsburg with its reproduction colonial buildings, the majority of Dover built heritage structures are still originals. Six years ago, Dover was one of the first downtown development districts designated by then Governor, Jack Markell, through DelBiz on Main – a Main Street America coordinating program that revitalizes historic downtowns throughout the state. According to Hugg, “The non-profit Downtown Dover Partnership (DDP) is drafting School, our comprehensive technical high school, as well as the Delaware Technical Community College, which offers a lot of skilled training, courses, and certificates. We have a great workforce and great work ethic here. Any of our larger manufacturers will talk about that. They keep their employees long-term; they train them, they move them up, and employees enjoy living in the area. We have a really good quality of life here. We have a lot to offer with a low cost of living.” The challenge with having a robust workforce and economy is that it demands a good amount of housing inventory. “We are basically the same as everywhere else in the United States,” reports Mayor Christiansen. “We have a shortage of both market rate and affordable housing. We’ve just not had the opportunity to address the housing needs as we should have, but we now work closely with our realtors. We have begun meeting with them on a regular basis to find out what their needs are and how we can help them.