At the end of the Delaware County Commissioners’ final session of the year Thursday, President Barb Lewis reflected on the county’s development efforts.
“For me the highlights of 2016 include the burst of new construction throughout our county,” Lewis said. She mentioned the larger projects of the Tanger Factory Outlet Mall, the Sawmill Parkway Extension and the judicial building.
• After more than a year since the first shovel of dirt was turned, Tanger Outlet Mall in Berkshire Township officially opened Friday, June 24.
The mall features more than 80 upscale brand name and designer outlet retailers, including Ann Taylor Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, Banana Republic Factory Store, American Eagle Outfitters, Talbots Outlet, Gap Factory Store and Loft Outlet.
The day of the mall’s opening, developers said, the project already had a positive economic impact on the area through the creation of more than 400 construction jobs and the completed retail center is expected to create more than 900 positions.
• In 1987 the Southern Delaware County Thoroughfare Plan identified the need to extend Sawmill Parkway north to the City of Delaware.
On Nov. 10 the 30-year, $30.4 million, vision become a reality as Sawmill Parkway extension opened from Hyatts Road north to U.S. 42.
Opening the parkway, Deputy Chief Engineer Rob Riley said the project had been in the works for three decades. “This has been at least 30 years in the making,” he said.
Commissioner Gary Merrell said he hopes that Sawmill Parkway will attract industrial business development to the City of Delaware. “It creates the opportunity, and now it’s what we do with the opportunity,” he said.
• On North Sandusky Street in Delaware one project is well under way and slated for completion next summer.
“It’s amazing to look at what was always just a blank space,” Lewis said. “It’s a majestic building that will become more majestic.”
According to Lend Lease Inc. officials, Delaware County’s $38 million, 94,450 square-foot judicial building is on schedule to be completed by June 30.
Lend Lease Inc. is the construction management company overseeing the judicial building project.
Revised plans and costs for the structure were approved unanimously by commissioners in March. The projected cost for the 94,450 square-foot building is $38,082,971.
In an April commissioners authorized the sell of $34,000,000 in bonds. The funds from the sale will pay the cost to build, furnish and equip the new judicial center being built next to the Hayes Building.
The new building will have plazas between the Hayes Building and the main entrance, and will have two levels of underground parking, with the lowest level for staff and the public and the second-level parking for staff and separate in-custody defendant delivery.
The third story will house the Clerk of Courts Office, grand jury space, adult court services and public parking. The fourth and fifth stories will house courtrooms, hearing and mediation spaces. There will be in-custody defendant holding areas on all five stories for security purposes.
