MILFORD — The new Milford Corporate Center is getting closer to occupancy as real estate agents begin marketing 27 open lots at the nearly 180-acre site.
Located at the intersection of Routes 14 and Route 15, the Milford Corporate Center is designed to attract employers ranging from local contractors to larger industrial and commercial users with approximately 2 million square feet of commercial space.
City leaders have previously estimated the development could support as many as 1,300 jobs with occupancy possibly opening up within 12 to 18 months.
Ann Bailey, a commercial real estate agent with NAI Emory Hill, told the Delaware Business Times that the project has moved from the planning phase into active marketing as infrastructure work continues on the site.
“We’re at the hitting-the-ketchup-bottle stage,” Bailey said. “You’re banging it and banging it and nothing’s happening. Then, all of a sudden, you’re deluged with activity.”
Bailey said NAI Emory Hill began marketing the project is already fielding inquiries from prospective tenants and buyers.
The first phase of construction includes several larger interior parcels ranging from roughly seven to more than eight acres, along with smaller lots generally between three and 4.5 acres. The smallest available parcel is about 2.75 acres.
Potential users range from HVAC, plumbing, electrical and landscaping companies to manufacturers, distributors and businesses seeking showroom space with production or repair operations in the rear of their facilities.
The Milford Corporate Center’s flexibility has generated inquiries from companies seeking manufacturing space, refrigeration facilities, coffee shops, churches and other commercial uses. Some larger prospects have explored combining parcels for distribution facilities, although utility capacity requirements have limited certain proposals.
One advantage, Bailey said, is that the site is already zoned and entitled for business purposes, allowing companies to avoid lengthy rezoning processes that can add years to a development timeline.
“If somebody is looking for ground elsewhere and needs a zoning change, that can take a year and a half or more,” she said. “Here, we already have the zoning and we’re ready to go.”
Infrastructure improvements are underway, including roads, utilities and site preparation. Bailey acknowledged construction has progressed more slowly than anticipated due to winter weather and permitting-related challenges but said work is advancing.
The Milford Corporate Center will be served by city water and sewer infrastructure, Chesapeake Utilities natural gas service and high-speed fiber connectivity brought on by IQ Fiber’s investment in the region.
Bailey said the park’s location near the Food Bank of Delaware’s Milford campus, the Delaware Veterans Home, Delaware Hospice and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware also creates a strong institutional anchor for future development.
“We’re happy to be in that location,” she said. “I think there will be businesses that are complementary to what’s already there.”
Beyond traditional industrial and commercial space, the development includes plans for walking trails, open space and employee amenities.
The project has received significant state support over the last several years. Milford officials secured $2.7 million through Delaware’s Site Readiness Fund for road improvements, followed by additional state funding awards, including $1.1 million through the Site Readiness Program and approximately $5 million through the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund.
Milford leaders broke ground on the project in March, describing the corporate center as one of the most significant economic development initiatives in Milford’s recent history. The nearly $18 million investment includes new roads, utility infrastructure, a water tower, sewer improvements and site development designed to support future employers.
While no tenants have been formally announced, Bailey said the development team is currently in discussions with several prospective users and is also working with investors interested in build-to-suit opportunities for companies that prefer to lease rather than purchase land.
“We’re anxious to get it going,” she said. “We’ve talked to a number of people already, and now it’s a matter of matching the right users with the right opportunities.”