By Glenn Rolfe

SEAFORD — Brisk, gusty winds toppled the speaker stands Friday during the groundbreaking for the new Western Sussex Business Campus.

But that seemed to be the only sour note in an otherwise spirited ceremony formally welcoming KRM Development Corp. to Seaford as developer of more than 44 acres of undeveloped land along Herring Run Road and Ross Station Road – a project local, county and state officials hail as a huge boost to Seaford’s ongoing economic resurrection.

“I’m the mayor of Seaford, chief evangelist and big promoter of everything good going on in Seaford, trying to grow jobs. Today is a big day for Seaford,” said Seaford Mayor David Genshaw. “It’s something that we have worked on with all of our might and prayed on with all of our soul.”

On the heels on Amazon’s announcement in late March that it will be basing a distribution center in Seaford, city council approved purchase/sale agreements with KRM for four lots in the Western Sussex Business Campus – a deal that potentially could mean hundreds of opportunities.

“We’re just as excited to be here today,” said KRM President Kate Gray. “We are a commercial developer, primarily in Maryland and beginning our foot here into Delaware.”

The state of Delaware and Sussex County have significant investment interests in the Western Sussex Business Campus, an initiative sparked by developer interest in undeveloped city-owned land the city purchased several decades ago.

Last fall, Seaford officials pitched the business campus proposal to Sussex County Council. In early December, the county pledged a maximum $1.88 million over several fiscal years. The city is contributing $600,000, with additional funds under consideration in Seaford’s FY2022 budget.

Delaware’s General Assembly, through Bond Bill appropriations, provided $350,000 to this business campus.

“This is a big deal. It’s a really big deal,” said Gov. John Carney. “When you think about our challenges … to make Delaware, to make Seaford a great place in which to live and work … it’s to cultivate a place where businesses can be successful and create jobs for the people of our state.”

“The county is certainly very happy to participate. This is a joint effort,” said Sussex County Council President Michael Vincent, among the county officials on hand for the groundbreaking. “Hopefully, before long we’ll see a building out here, and another building, and another building ...”

“That is the way it is supposed work, putting all your partisan political stuff aside, working together to make something happen for the good of the people of our state,” Gov. Carney said.

The business campus project put on the fast track, which Gov. Carney said wins favor with businesses and site selectors.

“One of the things they said was that businesses in making decisions to locate someplace or not, they wanted to go from the time they made the decision to the time that they broke ground, like we’re doing today, within six months,” Gov. Carney said.

Under the agreement, the city will construct all roads and utilities at its expense, with financial assistance in partnership with Sussex County, state Bond Bill funding and through tax increment financing, a public financing method used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects in the United States and other countries.

At $12,000 per acre, the total purchase price was $536,760. As part of the deal, KRM will construct at least a 50,000-square-foot building no later than 18 months after the closing on the property, expected this summer. That investment is estimated to be between $4 million and $5 million.

A developer with facilities in seven states – Delaware, Maryland, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania – KRM handles all phases of the development, from construction, leasing, space planning and maintenance.

KRM’s headquarters are based in Chestertown, Maryland.

Seeds for the business campus project idea were planted several years.

“It has been probably three years ago that I stole a storyboard from KRM and brought it to a city leadership meeting and started presenting that this field … could look maybe like this. And, maybe in these 100 acres, we could have 1,000 jobs here,” said Mayor Genshaw. “In order to get from this storyboard, this dream, we’ve got to put in infrastructure. When you’re new to this game of infrastructure and business parks, you tend to think it’s not a lot of money. Then it really starts to add up pretty quickly and we realized we’re going to need partners.”

Mayor Genshaw said “KRM was always in our mind as our target person we’d like to have come and build in our park. We are thrilled that KRM said ‘yes.’ They are just great people, the highest quality of character and the parks they build are just first class.”

State Rep. Danny Short, R-Seaford, who previously served on Seaford City Council and then as mayor, welcomed KRM to the city and applauded its willingness to invest in the city and state of Delaware.

Rep. Short was on council at the time when the city moved to buy the land from the University of Delaware. With DuPont still a major employer, the initial plan for the property was a golf course.

“Obviously that didn’t happen,” said Rep. Short, noting the former DuPont parking lot still can accommodate “3,500 cars and there are only 150 cars there now. But this, I believe, is one of the turning points that we have in the city to send a strong message, much like the governor mentioned. We’re willing to work together for the benefit of this city to prosper.”

Adjacent to the Ross Mansion and near the existing Seaford Industrial Park, the business campus property was purchased by the city as part of a larger tract of land for commercial/industrial development in the mid-1990s. The Ross Business Park was carved out of and later developed from that initial purchase.

Friday’s groundbreaking had spiritual overtones.

“A few years ago, we presented this vision for this piece of property to Unified Seaford as an opportunity for jobs. They came out those years ago and prayed over this property,” Mayor Genshaw.

Apostle Isaac Ross, who pastors at the Miracle Revival Center and is among the clergy leaders in the Unified Seaford effort, spoke at the groundbreaking.

“I am just thankful to see God work for us in this city, to see the city grow,” said Pastor Ross, praying that the property that will “eventually have buildings, people will have jobs/employment, people who will be able to better their education, have better housing, better transportation and make us an awesome city - a great city.”

“This indeed is the day the Lord has made. And if it is, this guy (Mayor Genshaw) has been praying for it for a long time and calling me up every other week to let me know whether his prayers are being answered. And they are being answered,” Gov. Carney said.

“He (Mayor Genshaw) mentioned that he is an evangelist for Seaford and for Sussex County. If he’s an evangelist, then I’m a disciple. KRM is going to help us see our prayers answered.”

“Governor, I have to tell you, he (Genshaw) was just as persistent with us,” said Ms. Gray. “So, that’s a good thing that we’re able to have these partnerships all around.”

“I agree with the mayor, our source of inspiration is from God. He is our Creator and he is the one directs our steps,” said State Sen. Bryant Richardson. “

I’m glad to say that I live in a community where we do put God first. We need economic prosperity in Seaford. DuPont at one time employed more 4,500 workers. How did we survive? We’re a tough breed. We decided that we were not going to give up and we’ve never given up. These job opportunities that are going to be advanced through this park, it’s an inspiration to us all.”