As steel starts going up for the Carle at the Riverfront Development in Danville (see photo), the city is seeing other interest. A Danville City Council committee is recommending the full council approve grants to help fill two buildings which are currently vacant on Danville’s northeast side. One of the Eastern Voorhees Tax Increment Financing District Redevelopment Incentive Program grants would help Head Start move into the former Social Security Building at 1001 East Voorhees. The other would be used to help renovate part of the former Eagle grocery store site at 1507 North Bowman so that half of it could be used by Goodwill. No occupant has been announced yet for the other half of that space.
Danville Grants and Planning Manager Logan Cronk is excited about the new occupants…
{AUDIO: ‘’Both these buildings have been vacant for quite some time, so it’s exciting to have them both in one meeting. And – yow – just really excited to see the development on a corridor that’s been inactive for so many years.’’}
And Cronk adds other developers have also been eyeing Danville….
{AUDIO: ‘’We like to think that some development on Lynch Road has something to do with that. But I also just think it’s the positive energy that’s happening in Danville. You know, we’re talking to developers every day. I think they feel our positive energy, and we show them a couple of buildings and they’re investing in our city. So it’s really great to see.’’}
The RIP Grant application for the proposed Goodwill site at 1507 North Bowman says the total estimated cost is $550-thousand dollars. It also says over 40 jobs would be created or retained.
The estimated total project cost for the proposed new Head Start site at 1001 East Voorhees is $270-thousand dollars. The City of Danville’s Eastern Voorhees TIF RIP program allows for grants of up to $50-thousand dollars for each.
Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. is also excited about filling now-empty buildings. And the Mayor added — stay tuned. He says more good news is expected in the near future.
