Milford signs incentive deal for Wellness Village
From Delaware Business Times
MILFORD — With the long game in sight, the Milford City Council approved a short-term economic incentive deal with Nationwide Healthcare Services for its $30 million Milford Wellness Village and its anticipated 150 to 200 jobs.
The Milford Wellness Village aims to bring an array of health care, social services, physical therapy and childcare services within a campus setting to the former Milford Memorial Hospital. At the heart of it all is Polaris Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, a 150-bed skilled nursing facility, which started accepting patients this year.
“The repurposing of this property has been a partnership with the city of Milford since inception and we are very encouraged by the city’s support. We look forward to welcoming many more businesses and partners to the Milford Wellness Village,” Nationwide Healthcare Services CEO Meir Gelley told Delaware Business Times.
Under the deal, the city entered into an electric agreement for set rates for the next five years as well as waiving water and sewer impact fees if renovation work is complete within three years. But if the COVID-19 pandemic delays that work, Milford officials could offer an extension.
In addition, Milford signed off on a 10-year real estate tax abatement. In exchange, Nationwide will withdraw its appeal on the assessed 2019 tax value of the property.
For the first two years, Nationwide will receive a tax break on the assessed value of the hospital building and not on any other ancillary properties included in the sale from Bayhealth to Nationwide last year. After the second year, the abatement rate will gradually drop each year based on the square feet of space occupied in the 266,000-square-foot facility by the previous year.
For example, if 100,000 square feet of the Milford Wellness Village is used by the end of the second year then the tax abatement would be 62.4% in the third year.